The Vanderbilt Regatta

Home , Bachelor of Ugliness, Jules Verne Allen

The Vanderbilt Regatta 150 of the 1,591 entering first-year students participated in this year’s Squirrel Camp, one of four DoreWays pre-orientation programs offered at Vanderbilt. The team-building programs included the Regatta where students constructed a craft and worked together to keep it afloat while racing other teams. Photo by Neil Brake.

4 1,000Wo r d s Spr07_pg4-9_final 7/22/07 3:30 PM Page 4 Contributors e u s s

i DoreWays

7 s 0 a e 0 d 2 i

g g n n i Editor Charles Euchner i r From the Editor g From the Reader p GayNelle Doll n S Charles Euchner, BA’82, is a writer in New Haven, Conn. He served as execu- a

h e c

h When ’Dores Were Undefeated Art Director and Designer tive director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard x t Photo Synthesis e

Donna DeVore Pritchett r

o University until 2004, when he left to focus on writing. In 2006 he published Gary Gerson’s o excellent and refreshing f

F his spring Vanderbilt Magazine’s office moved from the Baker Building on The Last Nine Innings (named one of the best baseball books of the year by article concerning his experience on the 1981 Editorial m

21st Avenue to the Loews Vanderbilt Complex a block away on West End u

Sports Illustrated) and Little League, Big Dreams. For most of his career, r football team (“A Pipsqueak Among Giants,” o

Arts & Culture Editor Avenue. It was the excuse we needed to clean house and purge ourselves of f Euchner has focused on urban politics and policy. He is the author of Playing the Field Fall 2006 issue, p. 40) brought back memo- Bonnie Arant Ertelt, BS’81 thousands of old photos dating back to The Leisure Suit Age. We gave them a A (1994), Extraordinary Politics (1996), Urban Policy Reconsidered (2003), and Governing ries of the undefeated “V-Model” 11 of 1943. Class Notes and Sports Editor T good home in Vanderbilt’s Heard Library Photographic Archives, bless them. Greater Boston (2002). In the fall of 1943, the Southeastern Con- Nelson Bryan, BA’73 All those forgotten photos got me to thinking what it would be like to work as a pro- ference was inactive—put on hold because fessional photographer, knowing most of the shots you capture will never see their way Science Editor Elaine Lacour Brown of the Second World War. However, there David F. Salisbury into print. Once the photo shoot is over, the photographer pretty much loses control. V Elaine Lacour Brown, BS’70, MA’71,EdS’73, is director of outreach services was enough interest on campus to form a Nowadays the photos you see in Vanderbilt Magazine are most often the work of and admissions at the Tennessee School for the Blind. Located in Nashville, the “fun” team coached by Herc Alley and Doby Production and Design Neil Brake or Daniel Dubois. These terrific university photographers provide images school serves K–12 students. Brown has taught deaf, blind and multiple- Bartling. This team played such power- Production and Advertising Manager not only for Vanderbilt Magazine, but for hundreds of other university periodicals, Web disability students at the school for 28 years. She also plays a pivotal role in the houses as Milligan, TPI, Carson-Newman Phillip B. Tucker sites, brochures, posters and more. They don’t have the luxury of specializing in por- school’s Preschool Summer Evaluation Program, reaching children with visual challenges as and Fort Campbell, Ky., and ended the sea- traiture or campus scenes or action shots— Assistant Designers early as possible in their educational progress. son without a loss. Chris Collins, Renata Moore, they do it all, working many nights and Like Gary Gerson, I was in my freshman Suzanna Spring, John Steiner, BA’02, Lisa A. DuBois weekends. And they must keep reinventing year at Vanderbilt in 1943 and wanted to play. Keith Wood themselves, finding ways to make the same Lisa A. DuBois has been a freelance writer since 1985 and has penned stories Also like Gary I was quite small, about 5- Photographers campus and the same buildings look fresh. for newspapers, magazines, radio and video. She received a bachelor’s degree foot-8 and 140 pounds. Due to the limited Neil Brake I asked Steve Green, who schedules photo from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree number of male students on campus because Daniel Dubois shoots and also photographs for Vanderbilt, in biomedical communications from University of Texas Southwestern Med- of the war, I was readily accepted. Color Correction and Retouching how many shoots their office does annually. ical Center in Dallas. She recently completed a history of the founding of the Monroe During scrimmage each day it was the job Julie Turner “Last year it was more than 1,800,” he said. Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, More Than a Place, which is currently at press. of the left guard and the left tackle (each “This year we’ll probably reach 2,000.” Vanderbilt Magazine Advisory Board about 200 pounds) to block me out. They Roy Blount Jr., BA’63 Frye Gaillard Sometimes I tag along with Daniel or Neil accomplished this without much strain. Caneel Cotton, BA’88 Frye Gaillard, BA’68, is writer-in-residence at the University of South Alabama. when they’re shooting. Here are three things Terry Eastland, BA’71 Each day during the football season of

The author of 19 books, he began his career as a newspaper reporter writing I’ve learned about taking photos: N E

E 1943, Fred Russell, ’27, of the Nashville Ban-

Robert Early, BA’71, MDiv’76 R G

about the Civil Rights Movement. He was a reporter and editor for The Char- 1. You want spontaneity in a photo. But not E V

Sam Feist, BA’91 Dubois and Brake E ner wrote an article about one of the play- T too much spontaneity. Last spring when Daniel S Frye Gaillard Jr., BA’68 lotte Observer. He also was founding editor of the Novello Festival Press in ers. I knew my time would come, but I didn’t shot a Vanderbilt Magazine cover image of alumnus Brian Reames, BA’87, involving a Janice Miller Greenberg, BS’80 Charlotte, a national award-winning literary publishing company. know what he would say because I was the G. Marc Hamburger, BA’64 wienie roast over a fire of rival-school souvenirs, a gust of wind nearly set greater Pegram, smallest and the slowest man on the team. Wendell Rawls Jr., BA’70 Jennie Floyd Tenn., ablaze. Mr. Russell was most generous. He com- Edward Schumacher Matos, BA’68 Jennie Floyd, EMBA’92, received her bachelor’s degree in business at the Univer- 2. College students are all photogenic—men and women alike. I don’t know whether Michael Schoenfeld mented that “if everyone tried as hard as sity of Alabama. Employers during her 20-year business career included AT&T, this is a universal truth or something peculiar to Vanderbilt. Maybe it’s the modern David James, the team would do just fine.” Advertisers interested in purchasing ad space in Vander- BellSouth, Nortel Networks, Telcordia Consulting and the Aberdeen Group. miracles of orthodontia and dermatology. bilt Magazine should contact Phillip Tucker, advertising I am most appreciative of having had the manager, at [email protected] or 615/322-3989. Since her retirement in 2000, Floyd has pursued a second career in the arts. In 3. Researchers like to demonstrate that their work is a team effort by pulling opportunity to be a part of the last unde- Vanderbilt Magazine is published quarterly by Vander- addition to being a working actress, she is a singer/songwriter with one CD released (Har- everyone remotely associated with their labs into the photo. Take the group photo. Then bilt University from editorial and business offices at feated and untied Vanderbilt football team. 2100 West End Ave., Suite 820, Nashville, TN 37203. Phone: wood Productions) and is a published poet/essayist for which she has won several awards. take the photo you need. Dr. David H. James, BA’48, MD’51 615/322-2601. E-mail: [email protected]. She lives with her husband and pug in the waterfront community of Foster City, on the west Finally, here’s something I learned from a freelance photographer whom Vander- Fax: 615/343-8547. Please send address corrections to Gift West Memphis, Ark. Records Office,Vanderbilt University,VU Station B 357727, side of the San Francisco Bay. bilt Magazine no longer employs: Instructing a woman to “lick your lips, baby,”while 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37235-7703. apparently a tried-and-true technique when photographing on Nashville’s Music Row, Opinions expressed in Vanderbilt Magazine are those of Remembrance of Pipsqueaks Past the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the Additional Contributors: Carole Bartoo, Joan Brasher, Doug Campbell, Kate Carney, works less well when the subject is a chaired Vanderbilt professor. The Fall 2006 issue is full of examples views of the Magazine or the University administration. Clinton Colmenares, Vivian F. Cooper, John Egan, Fredrick Hilliard, Elizabeth Latt, Jane Thanks, Neil and Daniel. Your talent shines through in every issue of Vanderbilt Vanderbilt University is committed to the principles of of the extraordinary and eclectic legacy Van- MacLean, Anne Malinee, Joseph Mella, Melanie Moran, Heather Newman, Ann Marie Magazine. equal opportunity and affirmative action. derbilt instills in its graduates. There are two Copyright 2007 Vanderbilt University Deer Owens, Missy Pankake, Jim Patterson, Kathy Rivers, Cindy Thomsen, Amy L. Wolf —GayNelle Doll articles,“Mysteries and Miracles” [p. 32] and

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“A Pipsqueak Among Giants” [p. 40], that I [Editor’s Note: Issues of Vanderbilt Magazine tistical inaccuracy. Attesting to Vanderbilt’s sure to this known neurotoxin. Our public employees to have a college degree. would love to pass along to my kids in digi- dating back to 2000 are available online at increasing selectivity, the admissions office health agencies’ failure to act is indicative of After I married a struggling young lawyer tal format. Is that possible? www.vanderbilt.edu/alumni/publications/index. asserts that “of the 12,192 applications, 1,590— institutional malfeasance for self-protection in private practice (Ralph E. Wilson, JD’49), My daughter has three children, the sweet- Readers are welcome to pass items of interest or 33.9 percent—were admitted.”Better and misplaced protectionism of the pharma- I taught English and Spanish and was librar- est and most loving grandchildren my wife and along to others. Reprinting of articles in other instruct your editors to look at that again— ceutical industry.”Another U.S. study that ian at Osceola (Ark.) High School for many I could ever hope for. All three are autistic to a publications, however, requires permission from my calculator says 13 percent, a considerably inadequately examined this issue did not prop- years, and ended up being Ralph’s legal sec- degree—a statistical improbability, if not impos- the magazine.] more impressive figure. erly clarify comparisons between children retary for 46 years. Tell Audrey there are a lot sibility, but nevertheless a reality that my daugh- Dudley Warner II, BA’65 receiving thimerosal and those receiving none. of options out there. ter and our son-in-law deal with and endure Thinking Globally,Acting Locally Nashville Its lead author concluded that “an association cinated according to the recommended sched- Mary Ann Murray Wilson, BA’48 every day of their lives. Jeanie is very involved I urgently need at least one, and prefer- between thimerosal and neurological out- ule (American Pediatric Society) will receive Osceola, Ark. [Editor’s Note: We should have included in Autism Speaks and its research. ably three, reprints of your cover story on comes could neither be confirmed nor refut- doses of mercury exceeding the cutoff levels the fact that Vanderbilt sent out 4,128 letters Having played football at Vandy in the late Muhammad Yunus [“Peace Through Pros- ed and, therefore, more study is required.” established by regulatory agencies. Howev- Smoke, Fire, Lebanon and Israel of acceptance—hence the 33.9 percent. Of ’60s (we even had a winning season my sen- perity,”p. 30] from the Fall 2006 issue, please. Thimerosal has not been removed from er, conclusions on the toxicity of ethylmer- I am pleased to hear that students at those, 1,590 chose to matriculate at Vander- ior year), I knew and played with a number A local group in Louisville wants to start all vaccines as stated in your article. Thimeros- cury (thimerosal) are predominantly drawn Vanderbilt are able to experience life in for- bilt. For more about Vanderbilt admissions, of walk-ons who were adopted and accept- a micro-lending program, and this article al-containing Hepatitis B vaccine, RhoGam, from analogies to methylmercury. This prac- eign lands. Given Ryan Farha’s family history see page 28.] ed by the team. Truth be told, a couple of would give us useful information. and flu shots given to pregnant women and tice is invalid as (1) mercury clears from the [Fall 2006 issue, S.P.O.V.,“Peace to Beirut with them probably had more talent than some Sadly, your magazine is so good that my infants as young as 6 months old all result in body much faster after the administration of All My Heart,”p. 66], I also understand his of our scholarship players. wife already cut out the article on autism Autism and the prenatal or newborn mercury exposures to ethylmercury than methylmercury, and (2) biased position about the conflicts in the Mid- How can I get the magazine in digital for- that began on page 32 of the same maga- Thimerosal Controversy children. It is not surprising to me that the the brain-to-blood mercury concentration dle East. (My family, too, was forced to leave mat? Is it possible to send individual articles, zine, so all I have is page 30. Thank you for publishing “Mysteries and Vanderbilt alumni magazine would attempt ratio established for methylmercury will over- Eastern Europe during pogroms at the turn or are there copyright restrictions? Your magazine is one I read cover to cover, Miracles” [Fall 2006 issue, p. 32]. As an alum- to bury the inconvenient theory that mer- estimate mercury in the brain after exposure of the last century.) But most important, I am Steven Ernst, BA’70 almost every issue. It’s wonderfully written na and a parent of a child diagnosed with an cury in vaccines has caused the autism epi- to ethylmercury. Sound epidemiologic stud- saddened by his position about Israel’s one- Layton, Utah and beautifully executed. autism spectrum disorder, I am always pleased demic. Only a few weeks ago, Dr. William ies in support of a link between thimerosal sided guilt with regard to the conflict. Garrison Cox, MBA/JD’81 to see media coverage relating to alterna- Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical in vaccines and autism are not available.] Perhaps Ryan’s education and livelihood Louisville, Ky. tive treatments and therapies for children Center told CNN’s House Call that “we have would be better served trying to understand Inspiration in the Obits suffering from this silent epidemic. How- an abundance of influenza vaccine. In fact, both sides of the conflict by joining a more The Magazine Goes to Drug Court ever, I was stunned that your magazine print- this year we’re all working hard to make sure I am repeatedly impressed with the level balanced organization such as Students for I always enjoy receiving the magazine and ed such unscientific inaccuracies in the article. that we use all this vaccine.”He recommended of journalism exhibited by “our” magazine. Peace instead of Dores for Palestine. It is the sharing interesting information with friends Lisa Dubois stated that “for a while, some pregnant women and children from 6 months At my age, 77, I wish I didn’t feel so compelled one-sided dogma evident in Ryan’s thinking and co-workers. The Fall 2006 issue found people argued that thimerosal, a mercury- to 5 years get not one but two flu shots per to pore over the obits. The tomorrows of the and writing that limit his ability to under- me cutting out the article about the fresh- based additive in childhood vaccines, was year. It is well established that the adult magazines are not in the obits, but with the stand why peace in the Middle East is so com- man class diversity and entrance stats [p. 12] behind the rise in autism cases—but that the- version of the flu shot contains mercury in passing of each alumnus I am reminded and plex and elusive. for my high school daughter and her guid- ory has not held up under scientific scruti- levels 250 times higher than what hazardous- proud of the very special people who have Mark Fisher, MBA’85 ance counselor, clipping the article on autism ny. Thimerosal was removed from American waste regulations say is safe. Vanderbilt’s obvi- spent an important, though brief, part of their Dallas ous agenda is to promote vaccines, and lives on the Vanderbilt campus. [“Mysteries and Miracles,”p. 32] for a friend vaccines in 1999, and as far as anyone can tell, Omission promoting the injection of deadly neuro- Jerry L. Hughes Jr., ’52 who parents an autistic child and chairs a there has been no subsequent decline in ASD Versus Magazine (a Vanderbilt student toxins into our children is wrong. I respect- Altamonte Springs, Fla. local parent support group, and copying the in children born after that time.” publication) was our source for Ryan fully request that these errors be pointed out information in “Crystal Menace” [p. 54] and These statements are false. The March 10, Farha’s S.P.O.V. essay, “Peace to Beirut to your readers and that those who would Career Choices its effect on the Vanderbilt community for 2006, issue of the Journal of American Physi- with All My Heart,” which ran in the like more information please refer to the Web Times may not have changed as much my Drug Court staff. It is obvious you are cians and Surgeons published a report con- Fall 2006 Vanderbilt Magazine.We site www.a-champ.org. as Audrey Peters thinks they have [Fall 2006 working hard to relate to your readers. Kudos. cluding that since mercury was removed from regret that we did not give Versus credit. Kimberly Winkenhofer Shumate, JD’87 many childhood vaccines, the alarming increase Jennifer Talley Keefe, BA’94 issue, A.P.O.V.,“A Fork in the Road,”p. 68]. Hardin District Judge in reported rates of autism and other neu- Dallas Graduating with a B.A. in 1948, I had the I found Ryan Farha’s S.P.O.V.essay very Elizabethtown, Ky. rological disorders in children not only stopped, same dilemma she has now about finding a interesting concerning his experience in but actually dropped sharply—by as much [EDITOR’S NOTE: We asked Michael Aschner, job without a professional degree. Some of Beirut during the fighting between Israel It Doesn’t Compute as 35 percent. A 2003 congressional report Vanderbilt professor of pediatrics, professor of my classmates foresaw the difficulty and took and Hezbollah. What was more troubling You’ll want to check the facts contained had previously concluded that thimerosal pharmacology, and the Gray E.B. Stahlman Pro- education courses at Peabody so we could at was his viewpoint that only Israel is to blame. in the page 12 article on the new freshman did pose a risk and was related to the epi- fessor of Neuroscience, to respond regarding the least teach school after graduation. I guess he conveniently forgot that Hezbol- enrollment [Fall 2006 issue, The Campus, demic of autism. According to that report, thimerosal issue. His reply follows: The only teaching job I could find in lah kidnapped an Israeli soldier and had “First-Year Students Bring Diversity, High the epidemic might have been prevented “had Nashville was in the country, and not having been launching rockets into northern Israel Scores”]. It’s been almost 45 years since I took the FDA not been asleep at the switch regard- Thimerosal was introduced as a preservative an automobile, I had to try other options and from Lebanon prior to Israel’s invasion. I calculus and statistics at Vandy, but it does ing the lack of safety data regarding injected in vaccines in the 1930s. In 2001 it was removed found employment with Eastern Air Lines guess that means it was OK for Hezbollah not take a math whiz to quickly perceive sta- thimerosal and the sharp rise of infant expo- from vaccines (U.S. market). An infant vac- in reservations. At that time Eastern required to attack Israel, but it was not OK for Israel

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to retaliate. Maybe now Ryan has been able remains in Lebanon. He states that violence The “Southern Journal” article in your to read more and see different viewpoints penetrated its borders, and that is certainly Summer 2006 issue [“A Flaw in the Perfec- VJournal on the news, and see who was really to blame true. He fails to mention that the penetration tion of Inaction,”p. 88], reminded me of an e f

for the invasion of southern Lebanon. of the United Nations-recognized border was experience I had in the summer of 1961. I i l

Tom Parrish, BE’75, MS’77 begun by the cross-border penetration of accepted a job as athletic director and bas- s u Tullahoma, Tenn. Israel by the Lebanese Hezbollah. ketball coach at a junior college in east cen- p m a

Understandably, he was upset by the sound tral Alabama. I went to the county seat to c

With regard to the S.P.O.V. article of aircraft and bombing, as were the Israelis register to vote. Unsmiling, the clerk notified n o

by Ryan Farha in the fall issue, I understand by the sounds of incessant rocket attacks from me that there were two requirements: a poll e v i that articles do not necessarily reflect the Lebanon into Israel. He states that Beirut pul- tax of $15—5.5 percent of my monthly salary t c e

editorial opinion of Vanderbilt Magazine. sates with energy at night. So does Tel Aviv; —and the passing of a 25-question test about p s r

Secondly, I value the free and open exchange however, they at all times must be concerned history, U.S. government and the Constitu- e of different viewpoints, especially in the set- about suicide bombers in discos, shopping tion. I stated to the clerk that there was no An Ounce of Prevention P ting of a university. malls and buses. way I could pass it. He assured me that was I believe most all people are pained to As to the last line of his article, the song not true. I repeated my statement. He smiled How family, loss and the Cultural Revolution see bombing of villages, the killing of inno- lyric: “So how did it come to taste of smoke and said,“Yes,you can.”I asked how he knew shaped one physician’s career. By DR. XIAO OU SHU cents, or even the loss of combatants. Most and fire?” For the answer I suggest he write that, and he smiled and proclaimed,“Because all wars are ultimately senseless. to Sheik Nasralah, head of the same organi- you are white.”My first thought was, What ifteen years ago I stepped off a My mother was 12 when her father died. Mr. Farha’s article is, in my judgment, quite zation that killed 215 American Marine peace- have I gotten myself into down here? plane from China and into the largest After seeing the suffering of her uneducated one-sided. He describes the 15 years of fight- keepers with a truck bomb in the Lebanese Less than two years later, I would find and busiest city in the United States mother, she was determined to get a good ing that ceased in the 1980s but fails to note civil war and ordered the rockets and inva- out. While fulfilling my Army Reserve obli- with a scholarship to Columbia education and follow her father into the world it was principally a civil war between Chris- sion of Israel in the latest conflict. gation, I had the privilege (obligation?) to F University. I had arrived ready to of medicine. Her wealthy uncles provided a tians and Muslims. The current crisis in Dr. Alan J. Brown, MD’60 visit both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. pursue graduate studies in epidemiology but good standard of living, but they refused to Lebanon is quite similar, and not a single New York City While in the armory in Birmingham, the not before serious debate over whether I support my mother’s dream of becoming a Israeli soldier (except for the two captives) Stacking the Deck infamous church bombing occurred. That should practice medicine or pursue research. doctor because, like most men at the time, event resulted in our unit’s being issued live I had grown up in China surrounded by they were heavily influenced by the Confu- ammunition and put on alert for possible a rich and diverse legacy of doctors. My pater- cian philosophy that “the woman with no tal- confrontation with angry civilians who were nal grandfather had practiced traditional Chi- ent is the one who has merit.”Unhappy with also armed. As a lieutenant, the thought of

nese medicine. A kindly old man with a long her comfortable but stilted lifestyle, my moth- H E I

live ammo in the hands of sympathizers in S H white beard, he ran a pharmacy with walls er ran away at the age of 14 to attend a free M I the rear made me quite uncomfortable. For- J full of small drawers filled with herbs and boarding school for teachers, the only option tunately, the order never came to go out. was well respected by the people in his small for education available to her. olution ended and I was able to pursue the Then it was off to Tuscaloosa, where our village, whom he treated with herbs and Although she never became a doctor, my family dream of entering medicine. Facing unit escorted the two black students to and acupuncture. When I last saw him, I was 5 mother did become the first female teacher loads of work I had missed, I struggled for from classes until things calmed down and years old. Probably suffering from a neuro- in her county and instilled her dreams in my two years to catch up before finally passing I was discharged. logical disease, his hand shook so uncon- sisters and me. Growing up hearing stories the very competitive university entrance I would have wagered the remaining 95 trollably at the dinner table that he was hardly of our grandfathers, we, too, wanted to join exams. The day I received my acceptance let- percent of my salary that no student or pro- able to pick up any food with his slim chop- the world of heroic white-clad doctors. Every- ter from Shanghai Medical University was fessor, past or present, could have passed that sticks. In the end, he was unable to cure his thing changed, however, in 1966 when the one of the happiest days of my life. I was final- voting eligibility test. own disease and died three years later, which Cultural Revolution began in China. Most ly realizing both my dream and my mother’s. Alvis R. Rochelle, BA’57 is when I realized that such traditional medi- universities no longer admitted students based However, not long afterward I felt like I Guthrie, Ky. cine has its limitations. on academic merit, and students like my two had been dropped from a skyscraper when I My maternal grandfather came from a older sisters were removed from high schools learned that I had been assigned to major in wealthy family and received formal training or universities and sent off for “re-education” preventive medicine, not clinical medicine in Western medicine from a prestigious med- as farmers and workers. For my sisters and as I had expected. I will always remember Letters are always welcome ical school. Through an arranged marriage, me, the door to higher education was dou- the first day we met our professors when, he wed a beautiful but uneducated girl from bly closed because my parents came from still disappointed, I sat with a crowd of other in response to contents of the magazine. a small town. My mother was their oldest child. wealthy families and, thus, we were partic- students in a big lecture room. As we shuf- We reserve the right to edit for length, My grandfather, however, was often absent ularly targeted for re-education. fled our papers, a professor, one of the most style and clarity. Send signed letters to the and did not love my grandmother. He even- At the age of 16, I was sent to the coun- prominent epidemiologists in the country, Editor, Vanderbilt Magazine, VU Station tually left her and their children at the fami- tryside for re-education, as my sisters had told us, “The best doctor is the one who B #357703, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, ly compound and married one of his nurses. been. Neither of them ever had the chance to treats people before they get a disease.”At Nashville, TN 37235-7703, or e-mail (Both he and his second wife came down with go back and finish school, but I got lucky. the time I thought he was only comforting [email protected]. tuberculosis and died a couple of years later.) One year after I left home, the Cultural Rev- continued on page 85

8 Spring 2007 V anderbilt Magazine 9 VJournal ectives on campus life on campus ectives p rs Pe PSCI 287 Or, exploring the significance of presidential transitions with Vanderbilt students. By ROY NEEL, BA’72

LEFT MY LAST JOB IN MID-2000 to been taught anywhere, at any level. Presi- put together Vice President Al Gore’s dential transitions have been treated as little transition operation in anticipation more than a footnote in the political realm. of his election. Both Democratic and After researching the most recent six tran- Republican nominees must make sitions, from Kennedy to Clinton, in my role this preparation in case they win, as Gore-Lieberman transition director, I was but in our case, we actually had to convinced that this critical period following conduct a transition process during presidential elections was sorely overlooked. those five weeks between the election and the Moreover, the process of presidential transi- end of the Florida recount nightmare. It was tions, beginning with the moment a candi- Ia quixotic, exhilarating and, in the end, a total- date believes he can win and ending when his ly draining and surreal emotional experience. administration is mostly in place, is one that Still licking my wounds 10 months after can make or break a successful presidential JIM HSIEH the 2000 presidential election debacle, I stopped term. Decisions made or avoided during pres- by Kirkland Hall to meet Vanderbilt’s new idential transitions have helped define an entire While it was unrealistic to bring schol- chancellor, Gordon Gee. My old friend Jeff presidency—witness Reagan’s supreme del- ars and former and current public officials Carr, the University’s recently retired gener- egation of virtually all startup tasks, Bush I’s to Nashville to speak to the seminar, I knew al counsel, had set up the meeting with the determination to push out Reagan conser- many of those who had actually managed chancellor and Michael Schoenfeld, Vander- vatives, Clinton’s inability to build a solid White presidential transitions, covered the news, bilt’s vice chancellor for public affairs. House team that quickly could have averted and helped presidents get elected and gov- Chancellor Gee quickly got to the point, the travel office debacle and, more important, ern. John and I decided to invite some of them suggesting that I put the experience of two the disastrous health-care reform initiative. to speak to the class by telephone, a simple presidential transitions, working in the White The course began smoothly enough—I technique I had used countless times to bring House, and 16 years as a senior staffer for would give a lecture covering the evolution cabinet members, governors, and other busy Congressman, then Senator Gore, to work by of an incoming administration and how it or distant officials into White House plan- teaching a course at the University. He asked affected the president’s success in governing, ning sessions. Schoenfeld to help make it happen. Van- the background color, politics, economic con- As the class dove into the Eisenhower years, derbilt Law School Dean Kent Syverud, who ditions, wars, international turmoil, all the I reached David Halberstam in New York, was also acting chair of the political science things that influence how a new president where he was finishing his book on the hero- department, arranged for me to teach a new goes about organizing his government. Then ism of the 9/11 firefighters. A former Ten- course on presidential transitions jointly with John Geer would translate my stream of fac- nessean reporter with longtime ties to Nashville political science professor John Geer. PSCI toids and political anecdotes into the context friends, David agreed to talk about the polit- 287 would “examine how presidential tran- of political science. ical and social environment Eisenhower faced sitions work, how they have changed over the But after four weeks it became obvious when he took office in 1952. He was mes- course of American history, and why they are that these bright, disciplined students deserved merizing and charming, no student fell asleep, important to the study of American politics.” more than my windy monologues. We decid- their questions of Halberstam were thought To our knowledge, this topic had never ed to get more voices into the classroom. continued on page 84

V anderbilt Magazine 9 “ TheCampus“We have conquered one terrible scourge only to be faced with the prospect ofF introducing all2002it again. —DR. KATHRYN EDWARDS on the smallpox trials

Undergraduates plines. Pre-med, engineering, examine factors that affect the magnetic resonance signal from Study Abroad in business administration and Alpha & Omega Record Numbers economics, education, and tissues, seeking ways to im- This window in Benton DESPITE CONCERNS ABOUT human and organizational prove the technology. Chapel, known as the traveling abroad in the after- development students are Their expertise in functional Word of God window, is math of Sept. 11, the spring 2002 choosing to gain exposure to MRI will bolster ongoing the work of artist Robert semester saw the largest number other cultures as part of their research, particularly projects Harmon. The movement of Vanderbilt students ever tak- undergraduate experience. focused on human cognition from the letter ALPHA at ing part in international study Vanderbilt undergraduates and vision in the Department the bottom to the OMEGA programs. Approximately 180 can earn degree credits in one of of Psychology. Gore plans to at the top symbolizes the students participated in one of 20 countries on four continents. explore new applications for all-inclusiveness in time 44 direct credit undergraduate Programs in English-speaking functional MRI in studying and space of the omnipo- programs last spring. countries including Ireland, brain development, in collabo- tent God. Divinity School Student enrollment in study- Scotland, Australia and New ration with Kennedy Center alumni provided funding abroad programs has doubled in Zealand have been added. Exist- investigators, and in studying for the window in appreci- the past decade.“We have ing programs in Spain and Italy neurological disorders, in col- ation for the late Dean sought to expand opportunities have expanded to include addi- John C. Gore laboration with investigators in DANA JOHNSON John K. Benton and the for students campus wide,”says tional partner institutions in psychiatry. school itself. Lorraine Sciadini, outgoing Palma de Mallorca, Bilbao and Former Yale, Kansas Researchers Vanderbilt has also substan- director of the University’s Siena. Strengthen Imaging Science, Matrix Biology tially strengthened its efforts in the area of matrix biology with undergraduate study abroad Study-abroad programs WHEN RESEARCHERS LEAVE AN of Imaging Science. He and a the addition of Billy Hudson, a program. emphasize academics as much as institution for greener pastures, team of more than a dozen sci- scientist internationally known different diseases. They serve as Traditionally, study abroad the cultural experience. Students they often must say goodbye to entists moved to Vanderbilt for molecular biology research a carpet for cells to sit on, glue enhanced foreign language stud- must maintain at least a 2.7 GPA close colleagues with whom from Yale University. in kidney disorders. that helps hold them together, ies, but Sciadini says it has and are encouraged to complete they may have enjoyed The Institute of Imaging Hudson is director of the which is critical for the devel- become more attractive for stu- their sophomore year before decades-long collaborations. Science will bring together new Center for Matrix Biology opment of all tissues. The Cen- dents for a broad range of disci- enrolling in the programs. But several top researchers new engineers and scientists whose and the Elliot V. Newman Pro- ter for Matrix Biology will to Vanderbilt are getting the interests span the spectrum of fessor of Medicine in the divi- stimulate interdisciplinary best of both worlds—unprece- imaging research—from the sion of nephrology, with a research in extracellular matrix dented new opportunities, with underlying physics of imaging secondary appointment in bio- as it relates to organ develop- the advantages of hitting the techniques to the application of chemistry. When he left Kansas ment, cancer and the patho- ground running. imaging tools to study the University Medical Center, he physiology of tissue fibrosis. John C. Gore, international- brain’s inner workings. brought with him a cadre of Hudson expects to collaborate ly recognized for his magnetic At Yale, Gore directed the researchers including four with colleagues throughout the resonance imaging research, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance assistant professors, two post- basic sciences, including bio- has joined the faculty as Chan- Research Center, one of the doctoral fellows, a graduate chemistry, molecular physiolo- cellor’s University Professor of leading centers in the world for student and several research gy,biophysics and cancer Radiology and Radiological magnetic resonance imaging associates. biology. Sciences and Biomedical Engi- research. In addition to using Matrices, Hudson says, “are Also joining Vanderbilt from neering and director of the new functional MRI to study the COURTESY OF OFFICE OVERSEAS PROGRAMS fundamental to a number of Kansas are reproductive Enrollment in study-abroad programs has doubled in the last decade. Vanderbilt University Institute brain, Gore and colleagues >> NEIL BRAKE

10 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 11 T HE C AMPUS

biologist S.K. Dey, who brings scalding water by their parents {Inquiring Minds} 13 people with him, and x-ray as punishment for potty prob- crystallographer M. Sundar- lems, children branded with The Case for Kangaroo Care moorthy, who brings a team of curling irons, and others with If breastfeeding is natural, why do so four. cigarette burns. many mothers find it difficult? Bette Hudson and Dey had both Too often, Guy contends, Moore, a Ph.D. student in nursing who been at Kansas University for courts and service agencies came to Vanderbilt after years as a about 30 years. “It is quite a return abused children to abu- lactation consultant, thinks part of the coup for Vanderbilt,”says sive homes. Red tape delays answer might lie in the crucial first Arnold Strauss, James C. Over- treatment. Or teachers and hours after birth. all Professor of Pediatrics, chair doctors do not recognize the Moore’s research shows that skin- of the department, and profes- abuse for what it is. Guy cites to-skin contact (sometimes called sor of molecular physiology an exam given to medical prac- “kangaroo care”) can improve the and biophysics, calling Hudson titioners in which 80 percent chances of successful breastfeeding. and Dey “both world-class did not recognize a child’s

“Oftentimes, nurses give the swaddled © D.M. GRETHEN/IMAGES.COM INC. investigators.” burns as abuse. baby to the mother to hold for about a half-hour immediately Some signs of child abuse after birth,”Moore says.“They don’t realize the significance Burn Cases May Guy points to: of skin-to-skin contact. By placing the baby skin-to-skin, the Mask Child Abuse • When a parent has no expla- baby has more olfactory, tactile and thermal cues.” EVERY DAY,VANDERBILT’S 20- nation or an inconsistent bed Regional Burn Center sees explanation of how a burn or Don’t Blame TV for Increase in Homicides lives marred by house fires, auto other injury occurred. All that television watching may give crashes, and other tragic acci- • When a parent delays seeking you thunder thighs, but it isn’t likely dents. Among the most horrific medical attention for a child. to make you go out and kill some- cases, however, are ones that • When a parent has no regular body.Vanderbilt sociology professor didn’t have to happen. pediatrician for the child. • When a child wears long © CLAUDIA WOLF/IMAGES.COM INC. Gary Jensen has examined and con- tradicted a widely cited 1992 study by Brandon Centerwall sleeves all the time, even in hot at the University of Washington which concluded that televi- weather. sion was the main cause for an increase in violence among whites in the U.S., Canada and South Africa during a 30- Vanderbilt Testing year period starting in 1945. 30-Year-Old Jensen analyzed other factors that Centerwall did not Smallpox Vaccine consider—including divorce rates, alcohol use, unemploy- AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HELD ment, and immigration rates. the world’s record for going the “The analysis shows that the breakdown of the family is a longest without cleaning your critical factor when tracking increases in homicide rates for freezer: Last fall, in a long- whites,”says Jensen,“while television becomes insignificant.” overlooked freezer, pharmaceutical firm Aventis Pasteur dis- Takeovers of Troubled Schools Produce Mixed Results covered a smallpox vaccine The takeover of poorly performing schools by states and Dr. Jeffrey Guy stockpile that had been frozen NEIL BRAKE cities in an attempt to improve them has been on the rise in for 30 years—an estimated 75 Remnants of Stars Past the past decade.Twenty-four states allow state takeover of “Twenty percent of our million doses, produced for the IC4406, NICKNAMED THE RETINA NEBULA, is one local school districts, and actual takeovers have occurred in pediatric admissions are cases Department of Defense. of the closest planetary nebulae to Earth. Planetary 18 states and the District of Columbia. of child abuse,”says Dr. Jeffrey Now the National Institutes nebulae are the multicolored remnants of dead stars. In an extensive study of 14 school districts in which com- S. Guy, director of the Burn of Health has awarded Vander- C. Robert O’Dell, professor of physics, and colleagues prehensive takeovers have occurred, Kenneth K. Wong, pro- Center. Guy and the team of bilt a $12.6 million contract to reported the discovery of this new feature, shown here in fessor of public policy and education and associate director physicians, nurses, therapists, determine whether the doses a Hubble Space Telescope image, in the June 2002 issue of the Peabody Center for Education Policy, and Francis X. and support personnel includ- could still be used, perhaps of Astronomical Journal. They also identified five other Shen of Harvard University found “mixed results for state ing psychiatrists and a chaplain even diluted enough to admin- nearby planetary nebulae. takeovers on both academic and management issues.” have seen the worst of humani- ister to the entire U.S. popula- To learn more and journey into the nebula, visit ty:youngsters immersed in tion in the event of a Vanderbilt’s online research journal, Exploration, at >> http://exploration.vanderbilt.edu.

12 Fall 2002 T HE C AMPUS T HE C AMPUS

bioterrorist attack. Trials at for Disease Control and Pre- provided eye evaluation and minute journey up a winding Vanderbilt and three other vention are considering vacci- care and performed cataract mountain road to Pisac from sites—the University of Iowa, nating as many as half a million removal and eye surgery. Cusco, the nearby ancient Incan Northern California Kaiser Per- emergency and health-care Women’s basketball players capital where the group spent manente, and Baylor College of workers who would be among Venessa Ferragamo and Hillary each night. Twenty-eight crates Medicine—will involve several the first to see smallpox cases. Hager were among the volun- of medical equipment and sup- hundred volunteers. The Vanderbilt grant result- teers. “It was an amazing expe- plies traveled with the volun- Smallpox, a highly conta- ed from an application made rience,”says Hager. She and teers in order to create a gious and often fatal disease before the Sept. 11 terrorist Ferragamo, both juniors on a full-service health clinic. which has killed hundreds of attacks. The study will be the pre-medical track with Spanish McKinzie has traveled to millions of people in earlier first project funded by the minors, helped translate and Peru for the past seven years times, has not been seen world- grant, which establishes fund- worked in the visual clinic test- with church groups and plans wide since 1977, after an inter- ing for Vanderbilt to be a vac- ing patients’ eyesight. similar trips to Peru and national immunization cine evaluation center for five Each member of the medical Guyana next year. campaign wiped it out. The last years. team paid more than $2,000 to U.S. case was seen in 1949, and “For many years Vanderbilt participate in the trip. The Graduate Students routine smallpox vaccinations has been at the forefront of Department of Emergency Rub Elbows with ceased in 1972. But terrorism developing new vaccines for Medicine donated $5,000, and Nobel Laureates experts believe the virus could meningitis, whooping cough, several pharmaceutical compa- JONATHAN SPRINKLE AND have been smuggled out of lab- flu, and respiratory viruses,” nies provided medication and Laura Swafford spent a week NEIL BRAKE oratories in the U.S. or Russia. says Dr. Kathryn Edwards, pro- COURTESY OF JEFF MCKINZIE supplies. last summer doing something Graduate students Jonathan Sprinkle and Laura Anderson Swafford. While the risk of a smallpox fessor of pediatrics and lead Quechua Indians of rural Peru Volunteers Bring Each day, volunteers woke at most graduate students only welcomed the arrival of Vanderbilt attack by bioterrorists is consid- investigator for the smallpox volunteer health-care providers. Health Care to 5:30 a.m. to prepare for the 45- dream about—attending the 52nd Nobel Laureates meeting cine have met in Lindau to have ered small, experts consider the vaccine trials. “Our major focus Rural Peru in Lindau, Germany. open and informal meetings possibility particularly danger- was looking at vaccines in vul- ELEVEN THOUSAND FEET HIGH Sprinkle, a Ph.D. candidate with more than 400 students ous because one infected nerable populations including researchers will be able to deter- in the Andes Mountains, 19 vol- in electrical engineering and an and young researchers from patient could spread the disease children and elderly people. We mine how much the vaccine unteers from Vanderbilt spent a IBM Fellow, and Swafford, a around the world. The two to many others. were looking at new ways to can be diluted and still be effec- week providing free medical, graduate student in physical Vanderbilt students were Because the vaccine carries deliver flu vaccines and pneu- tive. If the old vaccine is shown dental and vision care to a com- chemistry, were the first two among 39 U.S. students select- significant risks and in rare monia vaccines. It was only to be effective at its weakest munity primarily inhabited by Vanderbilt graduate students ed for the honor. cases is fatal, experts do not after 9/11 that the additional dilution—one part vaccine to Quechua Indians in Pisac, an ever invited to attend the annu- “Some of the laureates were anticipate resuming vaccina- challenge was presented.” 10 parts water—a total of 750 impoverished Peruvian com- al gathering. There they rubbed very focused on their individ- tions for the public at large. By using different strength million additional people could munity of 5,000. Vanderbilt vol- shoulders with the likes of ual research, others on educa- Federal officials at the Centers vaccines in the clinical trials, be vaccinated. unteers teamed up in an chemists Paul Boyer and tion or politics, and a few international effort with the Harold Kroto and physicist talked about what it is to Universidad Nacional de San Rudolf Mössbauer. become a laureate,”says Swaf- Antonio Abad del Cusco and Virtual Vanderbilt Sprinkle was chosen by the ford. “A number of them said it Peruvian officials to provide Oak Ridge Associated Universi- was a matter of being in the www.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/pathfinder care to 2,369 patients May 5-13. We need to ties to attend the illustrious right place at the right time.”

Search for Services allows those seeking infor- For most of the region’s reduce our gathering. He anticipates re- “Some were receptive to mation on disabilities to explore a database people, “access to health care is dependence on ceiving his Ph.D. in 2003 and American students, but others

of more than 1,400 providers in Tennessee by very limited,”says Dr. Jeff Mc- “foreign oil so hopes to teach engineering at were highly critical of the U.S.,” county and type of assistance. It is the newest Kinzie, assistant professor of that America the college level. Swafford was says Sprinkle. “The best feature on the Tennessee Family Pathfinder emergency medicine, who cannot be held “ chosen by the Department of prizewinners were those who Web site, which serves as an adviser and educa- coordinated the trip. They suf- hostage to global Energy. She has just finished spoke about their intuition for tor to those searching for information on fer from worms and parasites, chaos and tin- her third year of graduate the future direction of science, disabilities, covering many aspects such as malnutrition, and muscu- horn tyrants like school and also hopes to enter and our role in educating a employment, housing and laws. The John F. loskeletal pain. With the help of Saddam Hussein. academia after completing her force of people who will change Kennedy Center for Research on Human a Peruvian dentist, volunteer — Al Gore in an April 22 doctorate. the world.” Development and the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities created Pathfinder health-care providers pulled a Earth Day address at Each year since 1951, Nobel with grant support from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. total of 325 teeth. Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Prize winners in chemistry,

ophthalmologist Dr. Juli Dean NEIL BRAKE physics, physiology, and medi-

14 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 15 In the Trenches Both on and off the field, Brett Beard is determined A look at fall athletics at fall A look Sportsto produce winners. By NELSON BRYAN

TSIX-FEET-FOUR- With a new coaching staff now in place, of the kids and sometimes tutor others.” INCHES and 290 Beard is excited about the 12-game schedule Another focus of his attention is Backfield in pounds, Brett Beard and Vandy’s football future.“I think they’ve Motion, a nonprofit organization that offers makes quite a first finally gotten a coaching staff that’s fit for this inner-city kids a chance to play football. impression. There program,”he says. “They recruited well this “Instead of having to pay money, they have is inside him a year for the time they had, and there is a bright to come for tutoring several hours during the healthy mixture of future ahead for Vanderbilt football. We lacked week. I’ve also taken time to read books to toughness and com- discipline, and these guys are bringing the elementary schools.” passion. He played eight-and-a-half games discipline. I think in the end—if not this year, A resident of Birmingham, Ala., Beard last season with a broken foot—at nose tack- for sure next year—we’re finally going to decided to become a Commodore Ale, recording 41 tackles with three for loss turn this thing around and win a because of his familiarity with of yardage. He also reads to children in ele- bunch of games.” Nashville and Vanderbilt. mentary schools and tutors inner-city youth. Beard’s reputation at the His parents both grad- The Commodores will count heavily on University as a community uated from the same Beard’s defensive line experience as they volunteer is equally as Nashville high school, change from last season’s 3-4 defense to a respected as his foot- and he has an older 4-3 defense. A tough, strong run-stopping ball prowess. He was sister who lives here. specialist, his best game last season was against named by the ath- “This is where we Alabama with nine tackles, a narrow 12-9 letics department always came during Alabama victory. as Vanderbilt’s the summer,”he says. During the next game, a 28-22 home vic- representative to “Everything revolved tory over the University of Richmond, Beard’s the Southeastern around Nashville, and I foot was broken underneath a pile of play- Conference’s used to come to Vanderbilt basket- ers. Yet, he played on it for the remainder of Good Works Team. ball games when I was younger.” the game.“I had x-rays after, and the doctors Only one athlete from each of the 12 mem- Life after Vanderbilt holds a lot of prom- told me what was wrong. From there, I would ber schools is given that honor. ise for Beard. He would like to pursue a pro- just tape it up and practice. It’s funny—it “He’s one of our shining stars,”says Kevin fessional football career if possible. Beyond would bother me until I hurt it again in a Colon, director of life skills with the athlet- that, he wants to be a coach. “I never really game. When I finally hurt it again, I’d be good ics department. “He has a heart of gold. He thought of coming here until I got the oppor- to go.”He had surgery in the off-season and spends time in elementary schools on read- tunity. I get to come up here, spend time with now is fully recovered for the 2002 season. A me day and visits Children’s Hospital.” family, and my parents don’t have to travel redshirt junior, he will graduate in May 2003 The Edgehill Community Center, an inner- far. I get to play football in the SEC and, most but will have one year of eligibility left in foot- city center that schedules after-school activ- important, I get a good education to fall back ball. He is a human and organizational devel- ities for at-risk children, occupies much of on if football is not in the future.” opment major and will earn a master’s in that Beard’s non-football time. “The kids come field during his final year of eligibility. over for tutoring after school. I help take care Brett Beard

Fall 2002 16 PHOTOGRAPHS BY NEIL BRAKE S PORTS S PORTS

Balcomb Named Women’s as the fifth-winningest pro- Basketball Coach gram since 1993 with five top- MELANIE BALCOMB WAS NAMED VANDERBILT’S 10 finishes and top-25 national new head women’s basketball coach last May. rankings every year. {Sports Roundup} She coached the previous seven years at Xavier Heading into the 2002 sea- Basketball: Women Win ever finish in the SEC Championships.The sea- ranking. She teamed with Tsoubanos at number- University in Cincinnati and was the win- son, all eight of Corbin’s SEC Tourney son also brought significant individual honors. one doubles, and the duo posted a 25-6 record ningest women’s basketball coach in Xavier recruiting classes gained top- The women’s basketball team won the South- Junior Nicki Cutler of Englewood, Colo., was and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA history. She recorded her best record in 2000- 25 recognition. Baseball Amer- eastern Conference Tournament in Nashville for named an honorable mention All-American at Doubles, finishing the season with a number six 01 when the Musketeers went 31-3 and ica tabbed his 1999 recruiting the first time since season’s end. She also was a second-team All- national ranking.The All-American honors were advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Melanie class as number one in the 1995, beating SEC selection along with senior Meredith Ward the first of their careers for both Riske and Eight, defeating Tennessee in the Sweet 16. Balcomb nation and listed Clemson as Louisiana State Uni- of Crystal Lake, Ill. Sophomore Courtney Wood Tsoubanos.They are the third and fourth Van- of Brentwood,Tenn., earned an SEC honorable derbilt women’s tennis players to earn All- After the 2001 season, Balcomb was named NEIL BRAKE one of the top five college versity 63-48. In mention. American status. “Coach of the Year”in the Atlantic 10 Con- “This is an ideal fit for me,”Balcomb says. recruiting staffs in the country in 1997. Base- what would turn out Reynolds earned All-American honors for ference. “I am excited to be coaching at a university ball America and the American Baseball Coach- to be Coach Jim Fos- Anderson ter’s final season, the Tennis: Three Named singles play and was only the second Vanderbilt that has high standards and high aspirations. es Association named Corbin the “Assistant men’s tennis player to become an All-American. Basketball is important to Vanderbilt, and its Coach of the Year” in 2000. team logged a 30-7 record and advanced to the All-Americans Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. In Three Vanderbilt Commodore tennis players He posted a 30-13 record while playing at No. commitment is obvious. We will work very “I like the idea of selling Ivy League edu- the process, junior Chantelle Anderson was were named All-Americans by the Intercolle- 1 singles last season. He finished the year hard to continue this program’s tradition of cation with Southeast- named to the AP’s All-America team and senior giate Tennis Association. Junior Sarah Riske ranked number 15 in the nation. All three play- successfully competing at the highest level ern Conference baseball,” Zuzi Klimesova was a first-team All-SEC player of McMurray, Pa., ers return next season. and doing so with integrity.” Corbin says. “I can see and named MVP of the SEC Tournament. and sophomore Aleke Balcomb compiled a record of 135-78 at by the improvement in Tsoubanos of Football: VU-UT Game at Xavier while winning one Atlantic 10 Con- facilities that the Uni- Golf: Teams Make NCAA Chesterfield, Mo., Nashville’s NFL Coliseum ference regular-season title and making three versity wants a quality earned women’s All- The 2002 Vanderbilt-Tennessee football game, . COURTESY OF VANDERBILT PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES Championships NCAA Tournament appearances. Her teams baseball program.” Both Vanderbilt’s men and women’s golf teams American honors, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 23, will be played Riske and Tsoubanos while sophomore in Nashville’s professional football coliseum TENNESSEAN also won two Atlantic 10 Conference tour- Former Coach Roy were represented in this year’s NCAA Champi- nament championships and made one appear- Mewbourne retired at onship Tournament.Vanderbilt junior Brandt Bobby Reynolds of Acworth, Ga., earned men’s (formerly known as Adelphia Coliseum). It NEIL BRAKE All-American honors. marks the second time for Vanderbilt to host Mordica ance in the WNIT. the end of the season Tim Corbin Snedeker, of Nashville, tied for 23rd place with in 1978 Riske earned All-American status in both the Volunteers in the downtown Nashville home In the last three years, Xavier had a 5-1 after a 24-27 finish. Dur- a score of even par at the NCAA Division I ROBERT JOHNSON, THE singles and doubles for the 2002 season and of the Tennessee Titans. On Nov. 25, 2000, the record versus the Southeastern Conference ing his 30-year career in collegiate baseball, Men’s Golf Championship. was one of only 12 women’s players nationally teams staged a classic game, with the Volun- with victories over Vanderbilt, Kentucky (twice), he posted an overall record of 922-682-9 with The women’s team made their first trip to the NCAA Championships and had their best- to earn both accolades. She finished the season teers withstanding a furious Commodore rally {Where AreThey Now?} Mississippi State and Tennessee. Vanderbilt a Vanderbilt record of 655-608-9. with a 23-9 singles record at the number to prevail 28-26.The game, played before a Frank Mordica, BS’81, also registered the lone victory, which came one position and a number 14 national capacity crowd of 68,360, featured the largest one of Vanderbilt’s all-time in Nashville last season. Kylene Kownurko Wins SEC home audience ever to see a Vanderbilt game. great running backs, con- She succeeds former women’s coach Steeplechase Championship For more information, call the Vanderbilt tinues to make great Jim Foster, who accepted the head KYLENE KOWNURKO, A DISTANCE RUNNER with Athletic Box Office at 615/322-GOLD or strides with the U. S. coaching position at Ohio State the Vanderbilt track team, won the SEC Steeple- 1-877-44-VANDY. Navy. During his Van- University, and Tom Collen, for- chase championship in May and, in the process, derbilt football career, mer head coach at Colorado State broke her own SEC he set two school records University, who resigned a day after steeplechase record. that stand today. He ranks being hired at Vanderbilt because May was a big month number one in single game of a perceived discrepancy in his résumé. for the senior from rushing yardage with 321 against Newton,Pa., as she the Air Force Academy on Nov. 18, Tim Corbin Named also graduated with 1978, and still claims the career rush- Vanderbilt Baseball Coach a B.E. degree in bio- ing yardage record with 2,362. Mordi- TIM CORBIN, AN ASSISTANT AND ASSOCIATE HEAD medical engineering. ca is now a senior chief and currently coach for the past nine years at Clemson Uni- With the win she NEIL BRAKE assigned to the nuclear-powered air- versity, was named Vanderbilt’s new baseball Kylene Kownurko became the most craft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt coach following the retirement of Coach Roy recent Vanderbilt Mewbourne. Southeastern Conference champion, follow- Courtney Wood and Sarah Jacobs in Norfolk,Va., attached to the med- placed first and second, respectively, ical department, in charge of keeping Corbin helped craft the Tigers into a nation- ing on the heels of former SEC and NCAA in the 2002 Tennessee Women’s 5,000 sailors and marines “fit to fight.” al power, winning more than 71 percent (434 champion Ryan Tolbert, who won a nation- State Open Championship. wins, 172 losses) of all games. Clemson ranked al title in the 400-meter hurdles. PHOTOGRAPHS BY NEIL BRAKE

18 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 19 and interest comes from many fields, including Ireland’s potato famine of 1847, and was ing, making wine and wholesome bread, ing medicine, nutrition, women’s studies and regarded as a great humanitarian. Accum is regarded as the originator of the Va n d e rb i l t Holdings even engineering, referencing the informa- The oldest book in the History of Nutri- pure food movement. tion available on the invention of forks, which tion Collection was printed in 1541, with Among the 20th-century books filling 37 did not occur until the 16th century. recipes from Caelius Apicius, a third-cen- shelves in the basement are contemporary The art of cookery, says Teloh,was devel- tury A.D. Roman writer. The Historical Col- printings of some of the books in the His- oped in Italy and, fittingly, the first cookbook lection also includes a two-volume, first edition torical Collection. Among them is Apicius: as we might recognize it today was The Roman Cookery Book,a critical by Bartolemeo Platina and printed translation by Barbara Flower and in Italy in 1475. In the 17th and 18th Elisabeth Rosenbaum of the 1541 centuries, many cookbooks were volume. Collections and collectibles Collections Food for Thought written by doctors and included To the King’s Taste is a book print- medicinal recipes as well as those ed by the Metropolitan Museum of Va nderbilt’s History of Nutrition Collection spans nearly five centuries of diet, food, and that would eventually come to the Art in 1975 of the recipes from Forme table, or in some notable cases, to of Cury adapted for modern cook- cooking and their integral role in the development of global culture By KAY WEST the front lines of battle and the soup ing by Lorna Sass. In the introduc- lines to feed the poor. tion, we read that according to ell me what you eat, and partnership is called “one of the most spirit- spent a lifetime collecting. According to Mary Alexis Soyer, a French chef who contemporary chroniclers, the king I shall tell you what you ed flirtations in all of literature.” Teloh, special collections librarian at EBL, lived and worked in England, direct- daily feasted with more than 10,000 are.”The aphorism is the Fans of these legendary and timeless food both Todhunter and Darby subscribed to Bril- ed the development during the guests “and employed three hun- fourth of 20 written by philosophers can find their work among the lat-Savarin’s fourth aphorism, shortened in Crimean War of safe food storage dred cooks to prepare the royal Jean-Anthelme Brillat- nearly 5,000 volumes that compose the His- contemporary language to the maxim,“You and cooking techniques in response repasts.” Savarin, which served as tory of Nutrition Collection at the Eskind are what you eat.” to the hundreds of British soldiers Todhunter’s contemporary cook- “ the preamble to the Biomedical Library, one of 10 divisions of That principle guided the pair as they built dying on battle fields and in war- book collection is of vast breadth, French magistrate and the Jean and Alexander Heard Library at Van- what has become one of the world’s most time hospitals from contaminated spanning the culinary globe, though celebrated gastronome’s renowned book, derbilt. The collection was begun in 1975 and superb collections on the history of nutri- foods. The resultant book, Soyer’s lacking somewhat in French and Physiologie du gout. First published in Decem- spearheaded by the late William Darby, for tion, and the largest collection of cookbooks Culinary Campaign,was published Italian books. Every region of the Tber 1825, The Physiology of Taste or Medita- more than 20 years the chair of VU’s bio- in the South. Nutrition and cooking, the pair in 1857 shortly before Soyer’s death United States is visited by at least tions on Transcendental Gastronomy was the chemistry department who later went on to divined, belonged in a medical library. “Dr. in 1858. Soyer also set up the first one volume of recipes, though the talk of Paris, and has remained one of the become president of the Nutrition Founda- Todhunter very much believed that cook- soup kitchens to feed the poor dur- professor was particularly fond of most influential, engaging, and oft-quoted tion in New York. books were part of medicine,”says Teloh.“She southern cookbooks. Of particular tomes on what and how we eat. He was aided by his friend and colleague, believed that your health depended on what interest to Middle Tennesseans might Its most famous translation to English was the late Neige Todhunter. A native of New you eat.” be The Sewanee Cook Book published done in 1949 by the acclaimed food writer Zealand, Todhunter came to New York in the Todhunter was fascinated with the histo- in 1926. The slender blue book con- M.F.K. Fisher; it was not the first, but is regard- 1920s and earned a doctorate in biochem- ry of food and eating habits, and how that tains recipes from “southern homes ed as the most brilliant. In an introduction istry and nutrition from Columbia Univer- relates to social customs and history. Her fam- and plantations” and is sprinkled to a gorgeous limited-edition volume pub- sity. She moved south and was for many years ily had emigrated to New Zealand from Eng- with advertisements from notable lished in 1994 by Arion Press and adorned by dean of home economics at the University of land, and she had a passion for early English The collection of Brillat-Savarin’s Phys- Nashville businesses of the day like the Her- nine color lithographs and some 200 draw- Alabama; upon her retirement, at Darby’s cookbooks; she traveled frequently to Lon- ranges from iologie du gout. One of mitage and Andrew Jackson hotels, Carl E. ings by California artist Wayne Thiebaud, her invitation, she came to Nashville to serve as don, Bath and New York in search of rare vol- historic works Todhunter’s most treas- Weisse Prescription Druggists, and Life & on nutrition to translation is praised as “a stunning feat of visiting professor of nutrition at Vanderbilt. umes. Darby’s field was nutrition, and he cookbooks by ured books is Forme of Casualty Insurance. Spoonbread and Straw- intellectual complicity achieved by writers Aside from her noted gifts as an educator, found food adulteration particularly note- celebrities, both Cury, or Manner of Cook- berry Wine is a book written by African Amer- separated by more than 100 years.”Fisher’s lecturer and public speaker, Todhunter also worthy.The pair did not want to duplicate, real and fictional. ing, a volume printed in ican sisters Norma Jean and Carole Darden translator glosses comprise more than 20 per- brought to Vanderbilt a stunning library of so each focused on their area of interest. In 1780 and translated from of recipes and stories culled from their rel- cent of the text, and the semi-posthumous nearly 2,000 food and cookbooks she had creating the History of Nutrition, they made Middle English to modern from a manuscript atives all over the South. It was later made substantial personal contributions and worked of 196 recipes collected at the request of King into a Broadway production. hard in their lifetimes to build the collection. Richard II in 1390. (The original manuscript Familiar names and modern classics like (Todhunter died in 1991, Darby in June 2001.) is in the British Museum.) James Beard’s American Cookery, The Joy of The collection is divided, with 19th-cen- Darby collected and donated volumes of Cooking, Pillsbury’s Family Cook Book, and tury works and those preceding housed on work by Frederick Accum, a professor of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cook- the third floor of the library among the His- chemistry at the Royal Institute in London. ing are immediately recognized by their spines tory of Medicine Collection, and 20th-cen- Thanks in large part to his authorship in 1820 alone. Taking up at least three inches of shelf tury books in another room in the basement. of Treatise on Adulteration of Food and Culi- space is the hefty and invaluable reference The entire collection is open to anyone to use, nary Poisons, as well as other books on brew- continued on page 84

20 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 21 “ Bright Ideas“ It’s something like a mob transforming into an army. —LILIANNA SOLNICA-KREZEL

Decentralization ate professor—all from the Van- increases. Difference in arrival central computer, it has far less Discovery May sor of biological sciences at this case, researchers explored Microscopic view of derbilt Department of Electrical times of information from the information to handle, and its Vanderbilt, who led the study what takes place in a mutant two-day-old mutated May Prove Key to Shed Light on Cell zebrafish embryos. Smart Structures Engineering and Computer Sci- nearest and farthest sensors also workload does not increase as Movement During with Anand Chandrasekhar, called trilobite. ence—have designed embedded increases, as does the time it the system gets bigger. Development assistant professor of biological During development, cells disrupt activity of a specific

Research and scholarship roundup and scholarship Research A NEW APPROACH systems using a smart vibration- takes the farthest sensors to “Embedded systems are also sciences at the University of begin converging from all sides membrane protein, called may finally make reduction system for a 15-foot- receive their orders. far more ‘fault tolerant’ than BIOLOGISTS AT Missouri, Columbia. Solnica- of the spherical egg to the either Strabismus or Van Gogh. “smart structures” long rocket payload faring. In an embedded system, on centrally controlled systems,” Vanderbilt and the Krezel’s research team included embryonic axis where the body Somewhat later in zebrafish practical. The high noise and vibration the other hand, each node con- Frampton points out. If the cen- University of Mis- graduate student Florence Mar- begins to form. What begins as development, a number of The early promise of levels inside rockets when they tains a PC-strength micro- tral processor breaks down, the souri have uncov- low, and research associates a disordered, chaotic motion motor neurons move from one smart structures—equipping are launched increases the cost processor with a relatively entire system shuts down. But a ered what could be part of the brain to another. 1.spacecraft, aircraft, automobiles of manufacturing satellites and simple program and modest decentralized system will con- a major clue into mysterious Lilianna Solnica-Krezel “We don’t understand why they and ships with networks of sen- other equipment boosted into amount of memory that allows tinue to work even when several 2.molecular processes that direct move because they can form sors and actuators that allow space. So a system that reduces it to directly control the sensors microprocessors fail, although cells to the correct locations the connections they need from them to respond actively to these levels by even a small and actuators wired to its node. probably with slightly dimin- within a developing embryo. their original location,”says changing environmental amount would cut payload The microprocessor also com- ished capability. Understanding the molecular Solnica-Krezel. But Chan- forces—was that they would development costs substantially. municates with its nearest The second step in Framp- basis of these processes and drasekhar and his Missouri revolutionize design, construc- In the first phase of the proj- neighbors so they can work ton’s project is to put a 100- how they can go wrong could team discovered that this tion and performance. That ect, Frampton’s group prepared together. Depending on how node system into an actual lead to treatments for birth movement does not take place promise never materialized. and ran a detailed computer the system is set up, the proces- rocket faring comparable to the defects such as spina bifida. in trilobite embryos. When such networks grew simulation of the system that sor also receives data from a simulated system. Then he will In the August issue of the Researchers transplanted beyond a modest size of about showed it should provide a certain number of its nearest test how well it performs in the journal Nature Cell Biology, trilobite neurons into brains of 100 nodes, they became too degree of vibration reduction neighbors so it can coordinate laboratory. This information researchers report the discovery normal embryos and normal complex for central computers comparable to that of a centrally the actions of its actuators. will allow engineers to estimate that a single protein facilitates neurons into trilobite brains. to handle. In addition, the controlled smart system. Although each processor has the system’s performance and its movements of cells within the None of the normal motor neu- NEIL BRAKE weight, power consumption and “The most important result less capability than that of a weight and cost. developing embryo of the rons migrated when placed in a cost quickly became prohibitive. of the simulation is that it shows zebrafish. Jason R. Jessen, Jacek Topczews- changes into an orderly move- trilobite brain, whereas a third of In other words, they could not that the embedded system is This protein plays an essen- ki and Diane S. Sepich. ment. Cells change from a the trilobite neurons migrated be scaled up to large sizes. scalable,”says Frampton.“That tial role in directing cell migra- Zebrafish have become round to an elongated, spindle when placed in normal brains. Today, however, recent means we should be able to tion within the spherical egg to important in studying develop- shape.“It’s something like a Scientists concluded that the advances in MEMS (micro- build it as big as we need to and the head-tail axis where the ment of vertebrates. Their eggs mob transforming into an Strabismus/Van Gogh protein electromechanical systems) and it should continue to function.” body is beginning to take are transparent and develop army,”says Solnica-Krezel. must have both cellular and distributed computing appear In the older approach, all the shape. Researchers found that outside the body, making them Her research group discov- extracellular effects. to be overcoming these limita- sensors and actuators are con- disruption of the same protein particularly easy to study. The ered that trilobite mutations The results of various tests tions, reports Kenneth Framp- nected to a central computer. It inhibits normal migration of zebrafish genome is currently prevent the army from form- suggest that the protein Strabis- ton, assistant professor of receives information from all nerve cells within the develop- being sequenced, which allows ing. Cell motions continue to mus/Van Gogh acts independ- mechanical engineering at Van- the sensors, processes it, and ing zebrafish brain, a type of researchers to employ the pow- be disordered and do not ently in mediating neuron derbilt. Frampton, an expert in then sends instructions to all the motion found in human brain erful tools of genomics to develop the same sense of movement. If this proves to be vibration and acoustics, and actuators on how they should development. unravel complex molecular direction and purpose in the the case, then it provides an colleagues Akos Ledeczi, respond. As the size of the struc- “Very little is known about processes involved in the devel- mutant as in normal embryos. entry point to elucidate the research assistant professor; ture and the number of sensors how neurons move from one opment process. One of these As a result, trilobites’ develop- molecular basis of this class of Gabor Karsai, associate profes- and actuators increase, the place to another,”says Lilianna methods is to examine the ment is stunted. Scientists neuronal migration. sor; and Gautam Biswas, associ- amount of wiring required Kenneth Frampton Solnica-Krezel, associate profes- impact of specific mutations. In determined that the mutations NEIL BRAKE >>

22 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 23 B R IGHT I DEAS

Mathematician man of the department of med- but much lower levels of The mathematical model Study Makes Tracks Anthrax icine, and professor of microbi- anthrax spores in order to tracks contaminated letters Case for Cognitive Contamination ology at the NYU School of account for the two deaths that through different “nodes” in the Therapy Medicine. appear to have occurred from postal system. The first node is A MATHEMATICIAN Their model, which such cross-contamination. In the point at which letters enter A TYPE OF THERAPY at Vanderbilt and an appeared in the May 14 issue of the case of any future attacks of the system, either mailbox or that encourages expert in infectious Proceedings of the National this type, the model provides a post office. Then the letters severely depressed diseases at the New Academy of Sciences, simulates framework that can be used for move to local postal stations. patients to challenge York Universit y the recent outbreak of mail- the rapid identification and From there they are transported the judgments and School of Medicine have pro- borne anthrax deaths in the containment of any further to regional stations and back to misperceptions that underlie duced3. a mathematical model of 4.their condition can be as effec- United States and demonstrates outbreaks. local stations before delivery. how anthrax can be spread that all known cases of infec- Blaser was tapped in the days Each node is assigned a differ- tive as medication over the through the mail. The model tion can be explained by con- following the Sept. 11 terrorist ent level of risk of spreading long term. was developed by Glenn F. tamination spread through the attacks to participate in a task anthrax spores depending on That is the conclusion of a Webb, professor of mathemat- mail from six original force on bioterrorism. He began how the letters are handled. new study conducted by ics at Vanderbilt, envelopes. bouncing ideas off Webb, a The scientists found that the researchers at Vanderbilt Uni- and Martin J. Their analysis concludes longtime collaborator and model provides the best match versity and the University of Blaser, the that original anthrax- friend. The two agreed to try to for the fall outbreak when they Pennsylvania comparing the Frederick H. filled envelopes must develop a mathematical model assume that there were six orig- relative effectiveness of cogni- King Professor have contaminated an that adequately explains the inal letters, each carrying tril- tive therapy and medication for NEIL BRAKE of Internal additional 5,000 pieces basic facts of the fall outbreak lions of anthrax spores. They the long-term treatment of Steven Hollon, professor of psy- for an occasional booster ses- Hollon, DeRubeis and col- Medicine, chair- of mail with significant based on cross-contamination. calculate that these letters, severe depression. The findings chology at Vanderbilt, co-directed sion. Those who responded to leagues also found that cogni- the investigation of cognitive thera- The model would not prove although tightly sealed, con- were discussed earlier this year py in severely depressed patients medications either continued tive therapy enjoys a long-term that contaminated letters taminated about 5,000 other at the annual conference of the with Robert DeRubeis, professor of to take meds or were with- cost benefit compared to drugs. caused all the cases, but it letters with much smaller num- American Psychiatric Associa- psychology at Penn. drawn onto a placebo pill. The During the 16 months, treat- would demonstrate that the bers of spores, ranging from 10 tion in Philadelphia. patients were then tracked for ment with medication cost an Glenn F. Webb explanation is feasible, the sci- to 10,000 apiece. Cognitive therapy was sion away over the long term?’” an additional year. average of $2,590 compared entists say. (The other hypothe- “Only one of the deaths was developed at Penn in the 1960s. Compared to past research During the second phase of with $2,250 for cognitive thera- sis that has been proposed for the recipient of an original let- Cognitive therapists lead on more severely depressed the study, 75 percent of patients py. This gap grows with time, the apparently unrelated deaths ter,” notes Webb.“The much patients to explore harmful patients—some depressed who underwent cognitive ther- since antidepressants must be is that the victims were infected greater danger is to postal ideas—such as “I’m a bad per- nearly enough to require hospi- apy avoided a relapse, com- administered continually to be by anthrax spores carried workers and to the recipients of son and don’t deserve to have talization—Hollon and pared to 60 percent of patients effective. downwind from contaminated cross-contaminated letters. The any fun” or “I’ll never get that DeRubeis’ study was unusually who continued on medication “Some proponents of med- postal facilities.) threat is much greater than job, so I won’t even apply”— comprehensive in its size, 240 and 19 percent of those with- ication for severely depressed Eighteen cases of anthrax what people believed earlier.” and encourage them to test the patients in Philadelphia and drawn onto a placebo pill. patients have suggested that infections have been reported If their model is correct,“the misperceptions that shape their Nashville, and in its duration, “Statistically, both cognitive cognitive therapy is impractical since last October. Eleven were rapid and widespread usage of negative feelings. 16 months. Other Vanderbilt therapy and medication were on the basis of cost,”DeRubeis caused by inhalation of anthrax antibiotics among postal work- “In this study we looked at researchers involved in the more effective than a placebo, says. “Our study indicates this spores, and seven were caused ers and persons in the immedi- depression somewhat different- study include Richard Shelton, and a brief course of cognitive isn’t true, especially over the by cutaneous (skin) contact. ate environment of the received ly than prior studies,”says Ronald M. Solomon and Mar- therapy was better than a simi- long term. Five of the people who inhaled original letters probably averted Steven Hollon, professor of garet L. Lovett of the Depart- larly brief course of medication “This will be a surprising, anthrax have died. The federal a substantial number of cases,” psychology at Vanderbilt, who ment of Psychiatry. in the yearlong continuation controversial finding for many task force investigating the cases Blaser and Webb write. co-directed the investigation The study, funded by the phase,”DeRubeis says. psychiatric professionals,”he reports that four of the original In the case of another mail- with Robert DeRubeis, profes- National Institute of Mental “These results suggest that continues. “Most believe quite letters have been recovered, and borne outbreak of anthrax, the sor of psychology at Penn. “The Health and SmithKlineBeecham, even after termination, a brief strongly in the efficacy of officials have stated that they model provides a framework question that has most often involved a four-month period course of cognitive therapy medication, and psychiatric believe at least two additional that could help determine what been asked in studies is, ‘What of acute treatment. Patients may offer enduring protection treatment guidelines call anthrax-laden letters passed is going on more rapidly than gets people better faster?’ We who responded to therapy then comparable to that provided by unequivocally for medication through the postal system. would otherwise be possible. asked, ‘What will keep depres- discontinued treatment, except ongoing medication.” in cases of severe depression.”

For more information on the stories in Bright Ideas, visit Vanderbilt’s online research journal, Exploration, at http://exploration.vanderbilt.edu.

NEIL BRAKE V anderbilt Magazine 25 InClass

Standing at the Intersection Ellen Wright Clayton’s Genetics and Health Policy Center stands at the intersection

A spotlight on faculty and their work on faculty A spotlight of medicine and law, science and policy, past and future. By MICHAEL SIMS

owadays it seems that she launched and directs, the 50-year-old edu- Public Policy Studies. Like her titles, her pub- every news broadcast cator leans back in a chair behind a small con- lications demonstrate the spectrum of her reports another step ference table and asks,“What kind of society interests. Her books and articles address issues forward in genetics. do we want to live in? How do we want to level ranging from genetic screening of newborns Projects ranging from the playing field? What kinds of accommo- to malpractice suits, from neonatal intensive stem cell research to dations do we want to make? These are the care to the impact upon women of advances the Human Genome kinds of questions that drive my thinking.” in medical technology. A single title for an Project offer article published in 1996 sums up Clay- previously unimagined opportunities ton’s ongoing concerns: “Problems for healing some of the thousand nat- Posed by Genetics for Law and Ethics: Nural shocks that flesh is heir to, but American Policies.” they also raise specters about employ- “I’ve always been interested in social ment discrimination, genetic profil- aspects of science and medicine,”Clay- ing, and illicit bioengineering. Pundits ton says simply. In the mid-1970s her respond by invoking scenes from the graduate work in genetics at Stanford story of Frankenstein. They contrast coincided with the formulation of the mad scientist’s excitement as his guidelines for the use of recombinant creation first comes to life with his later DNA. Recombination is the formation fear as the monster runs amok. Under- of new gene arrangements. It can occur standably, many people worry that sci- in two ways. Sometimes during cell entists—geneticists this time—are division adjacent-paired chromosomes once again playing God and risking entangle and exchange corresponding

Frankensteinian consequences. Even JIM HSIEH continued on page 85 commentators who resist the horror- movie imagery are likely to quote the dystopi- Such questions have been driving her an visions of Orwell and Huxley in 1984 and for the last two decades. After a bache- {Suggested Reading} Brave New World,or even Kurt Vonnegut’s lor’s degree at Duke and a master’s from 1. Genetics and Public Health in the story “Harrison Bergeron,”in which Ameri- Stanford, she gradually merged her inter- 21st Century: Using Genetic Information cans in 2081 are required by the Handicap- ests in law and medicine. Her J.D. from to Improve Health and Prevent Disease, per General to be as alike as possible. Yale in 1979 was followed six years later Muin J. Khoury, Wylie Burke, Elizabeth Ellen Wright Clayton wrestles with such by an M.D. from Harvard. She joined Thomson, eds. (2000) issues all day long—not just advances in genet- the Vanderbilt faculty in 1988. Clayton 2. Genetic Secrets: Protecting Priva- ics, but also policymakers’ response to them is now professor of law, professor of pedi- cy and Confidentiality in the Genetic Era, and how well or poorly the public understands atrics, and Rosalind E. Franklin Profes- Mark A. Rothstein, ed., New Haven: Yale them. In her new office in Vanderbilt’s fledg- sor of Genetics and Health Policy. Clayton University Press (1997) ling Genetics and Health Policy Center, which is also a senior fellow of the Institute for NEIL BRAKE

26 Fall 2002 Has a tradition of attempting to weave a more interesting tapestry of our lives made usA Nation of

By LABAN CARRICK HILL Liars?A few months ago G.B. Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury, featured a scene where Mark, the son of a corporate magnate, sat at his father’s bedside. His father looked old, perhaps on his deathbed. In the strip the father and son were discussing the father’s war memoir, Hell in Triplicate,a title that suggests Mark’s father spent the war years out of danger, shuffling papers at a desk. As Mark stumbled over strained compliments, such as “a fresh perspective,” to praise and in a sense validate his father’s war experiences, the older man finally grew impatient and acknowledged the essential problem with his memoir: “But one that nobody cares about, right? They don’t make movies about company clerks.”

ROB FRANKLE

28 Fall 2002 n this comic strip, Trudeau exposes a shuffler, the clerk who makes the communi- appropriately with his or her self image as adjective applied to Odysseus in the first line extraordinary fabrication of his life as this For years Ellis regaled his students at Mount core conflict in Western culture. We ty run; he endures no Homeric trials. He is someone better than an anonymous cog in of the Odyssey is ‘Polytropos’—a man of many extremely precocious, self-taught long- Holyoke College about his experiences in are a society that idolizes the hero and the man who lives that life of “quiet des- history. Bart Victor, the Cal Turner Chair of turns. That he is an artful dodger defines him distance runner who grew up herding cat- the jungles of Vietnam even though he had holds ourselves, and everyone else, to peration” so famously evoked in Thoreau’s Moral Leadership at Vanderbilt, sees this phe- and probably saved his life many times. In tle in the remote reaches of the Mojave no military experience. For some reason, this heroic standard. In a sense, if you Walden.Sociologist Steven M. Gorelick of nomenon in terms of class structure. A per- him, at least, I admire the gift for storytelling Desert. By creating this new, improved he felt compelled to invent a tour “in coun- have not passed through trials of fire, or pulled the City University of New York has described son on the outside of one group seeks to be (which had two meanings at least when I was past, Hogue was able to win a scholarship try” with the airborne despite the fact that Iyourself up by your bootstraps, you do not “the powerful feeling of shame and embar- accepted and so creates the traits that give growing up). How is this different? One seems to Princeton University where he distin- his actual résumé was certainly of suffi- deserve admiration. Not surprisingly, this is rassment that comes from looking back at him membership. Victor suggests that the bold, the other pathetic.” guished himself, both academically and cient prestige to impress even the least a tradition that is deeply imbedded in our a time of agonizing moral choices and real- person who lies about his or her past sees John Lachs, Centennial Professor of Phi- athletically, until the truth was acciden- informed teenager. cultural history. Even Homer’s Odyssey,one izing that as others faced down the Viet Cong, himself or herself as “not being part of the losophy and senior fellow at the Institute for tally discovered. Equally disturbing is the story of “exiled” of literature’s earliest surviving epics, plays the Chicago police, the fire hoses unleashed elite group, but is aspiring to be a part of it. Public Policy Studies at Vanderbilt, charac- Perhaps the most internationally infamous Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, who out the “drama of the hero.”Near the end of by the Birmingham police, I chose noth- In a sense, it is attempting to be who you terizes this more contemporary fabricating case is the one of Nobel Peace Prize-win- has commanded immense influence for his journey, Odysseus washes up on the shores ing, absolutely nothing.” aren’t because who you are is not acceptable.” impulse in terms of a person’s need to “cre- ner Rigoberta Menchu. Her autobiogra- his powerful analysis of the Palestinian of the Isle of Skhería, where he is treated with In Doonesbury,Mark’s father has had to He cites George O’Leary, the momentary ate more credibility for himself when he takes phy, I, Rigoberta Menchu, an Indian Woman plight. For years Said claimed he spent his all the polite respect that the culture demands make a similar uneasy peace with his prosa- Notre Dame football coach, who falsified his a stance of X or Y. It’s almost as if the logic in Guatemala,recounted the horrors youth in Jerusalem, but was forced by the for its guests. But once his true identity as the ic fate. Susan F. Wiltshire, professor of clas- résumé by listing a master’s degree in edu- of your position compels you into creating wrought by Guatemalan authorities against Zionists who established Israel in 1948 hero of the Trojan War and the survivor of sics and chair of the Department of Classical cation and three years of college varsity foot- a more authentic story.”He chooses the exam- her as a peasant. The only problem about to become a refugee in Egypt. In 1999, how- many deadly trials is revealed, he becomes Studies at Vanderbilt, reminds us that even ball play because “he was a small-college ple of King George III of England to explain her “eye witness” account was that many ever, Justus Reid Weiner reported in Com- the focus of even greater courtesy. Telemachus had to confront this truth in the football coach who felt he could not play with what he means:“George III was the first British of the events recorded were fabrications. mentary that Said never lived in Jerusalem. In contrast, Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, Odyssey. She recalls the moment when the big boys without a better, more impres- king not to lead his army into war. He was so She was not uneducated. Her father was Instead, he grew up in Cairo, the son of a faces his own trials, minor as they are, and Telemachus and Athena, disguised as Men- sive past.” upset about not doing this that he came up not engaged in a long struggle to keep from Palestinian who had emigrated to the U.S. finds humiliation his reward. As a mere tor, are sailing to Pilos to ask King Nestor for Not all lying, however, is done to increase with war experiences. It wasn’t that he lied. being dispossessed of his land by rich ladi- in 1911 and became an American citizen boy who has accomplished no significant news of his father.“Telemachus feels that he one’s prestige or gravitas. One might tell a It was a total self-deception. When you lie, nos, but by his in-laws. And she did not before settling in Egypt. Consequently, he deeds, he is barely noticed by the suitors who does not have the authority to speak to some- friend that her haircut looks great even though you tell a falsehood. Some people create facts witness her brother, Petrocinio, burned to did not attend St. George’s Anglican Prepara- have encamped in his father’s home to woo one like Nestor who is so great,”explains Wilt- one’s true feelings are the opposite. One might about themselves, and they absolutely think death by the government death squads. tory School in Jerusalem, and the place in his mother. To compound the insult, when shire. “Athena then responds by telling him also lie for self preservation, such as telling a they are true. So to them, they’re not lying.” He was killed by them, but he was shot, Jerusalem where he posed for documen- Telemachus gathers the courage to get rid of that his imagination and his intelligence will mugger exactly what he wants to hear. These Over the years numerous highly respect- and she was not present. Ever since these tary cameras and magazine profiles was these men, he is cast out. Telemachus is clear- give him the words he needs.”The message lies can somehow be morally justified, while ed public and private figures have been “outed” revelations became public, supporters and never the site of his home.Unfortunate- ly not of heroic stature, and his fate demon- here is clearly that he must trust that who he a lie made to gain the kind of admiration for these kinds of fabrications. critics have battled over her story, calling ly, much of Said’s authority as a Palestin- strates this. The 19th-century English poet is has sufficient value. bestowed on heroes cannot. Gorelick sees into question her entire narrative, even the ian spokesman derived from this counterfeit Alfred Lord Tennyson made this conflict one Not everyone, however, is capable of such these people as succumbing to the “power- One of the stranger inventions is the story parts that are truthful. personal history. of the themes of his poem “Ulysses” by por- acceptance. In fact, a person may find the ful pull one feels to create a past courage and of 28-year-old James Hogue, who in 1988 traying Telemachus’s destiny in the “slow pro- truth of his or her mundane life so intolera- commitment.”Wiltshire cites the Odyssey in changed himself into an 18-year-old His- One of the more notorious cases was the One of the most tragic is the case of Admi- cedure to make mild/ A rugged people.” ble and valueless that he or she must fabri- attempting to characterize what is wrong with panic named Alixi Santana. The New York- Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph ral Jeremy “Mike” Boorda, who commit- Telemachus is not the hero, but the paper cate a heroic past that corresponds more lying about one’s past.“Remember, the first er writer Tad Friend chronicled Hogue’s Ellis’s claims of being a Vietnam veteran. ted suicide when journalists confronted

30 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 31 ROB FRANKLE Alumnus Wages Campaign to

him about wearing Vietnam combat dec- Painted Women, she concludes the rise of cor- successful in business. Now that has been “Out” Bogus Veterans orations he might not have earned. Boor- porate culture in the second half of the 20th eroded by the ENRON disaster, and so we’re da was the first sailor in the Navy to rise century and its emphasis on having a “win- in the process of shifting our trust to mili- “Everybody lies,” reflects “They are the most employed from the lowest enlisted rank to become ning image” probably has more to do with tary figures because we are in a time of war.” B.G. “Jug” Burkett, BA’66, a Vietnam vet- sector of our society,” claims Bur- a four-star admiral and later the supreme decreased value in real achievements. The This basic need to trust ensures that peo- eran who is legendary among journalists, kett. “But what has happened is commander. He was one of the most high- hallmark of mid to late 20th-century success ple will be repeatedly duped. Most recently, law enforcement and veterans organizations. that the other image that was creat- ly respected officers in the service. When manuals has been “their lack of interest in the New York Times reported on a woman, “I’ve told white lies, but not on my military ed by the anti-war movement during the his integrity came into question in respect the substance of success” and the “candor” Sanae Zahani, who made the rounds of the record.” Through sheer, dogged determina- war—the dysfunctional killer—became to whether he deserved to wear two tiny of their insistence “that appearances—‘win- aid organizations after Sept. 11. Zahani told tion, Burkett has waged a one-man war “out- Hollywood’s popular myth. Then it became brass “V” pins, which signify valor, for hav- ning images’—count for more than achieve- aid workers she was looking for her sister who ing” bogus vets who have lied about their institutionalized.” ing earned the medals in combat, Boorda ment.”This has certainly proven true with might have been working as a temp at the war records. Burkett, a financial consultant for Salomon killed himself. After his death the secre- the many dot-com companies that garnered World Trade Center towers. She enlisted the “Burkett has provided a real service, and Smith Barney, stumbled upon this discon- tary of the Navy, John H. Dalton, insert- major investments without ever having earned help of many New Yorkers in her search and he’s gotten people to be more skeptical of nect which has become a second career. some of these claims that will encourage a “I was co-chairman of the Texas Vietnam greater honesty [about the war and its con- Veterans Memorial, and I thought I . . . a person may find the truth of his or her mundane life so intolerable and valueless that sequences on the soldiers who served there],” would just knock on the door and explains Thomas Schwartz, associate pro- say, ‘Hey, I’m this worthy cause. he or she must fabricate a heroic past . . . fessor of sociology at Vanderbilt. “He was Texas lost 3,500 men, et cetera the first person to go out and start looking … .’ The universal attitude, how- ed into Adm. Boorda’s official record a a cent. Halttunen writes, “This replace- was welcomed in their homes. She volun- at Veterans’ claims. He didn’t buy the gen- ever, even among people in pock- letter from the former commander of the ment of the captain of industry with the con- teered at the family assistance center at Pier eral image of the Vietnam vet. He went out ets of money I knew, was why Navy, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., declar- fidence man in the American success 94, filed a missing persons report, and gave and said, ‘Hey, look, we’re not all nuts. We would we give money to those ing that Boorda was eligible to wear the mythology clearly demonstrates a critical DNA swabs from inside her cheek. She even didn’t all oppose the war.’ Because of his bums. It sort of shocked me decorations. Questions still exist, how- shift in middle-class attitudes toward the sin- appeared on The Rosie O’Donnell Show,speak- own experiences and his own dislike of the because I didn’t serve with any ever, surrounding Boorda’s privilege to cere ideal.” ing haltingly of losing her sister. Over the stereotypes, he went out and did something bums. They were the cream of the wear the medals since the actual combat In short, sincerity or authenticity is not weeks after the attack, Zahani “sought little about it.” crop of my generation. I realized missions he was supposed to have partic- nearly as prized as the appearance of great- beyond compassion and she grieved what What Burkett found was that many claim- then that what I had carried with me ipated in have never been specified. ness. Our culture prizes the myth of the suc- seemed a real grief,”according to the Times. ing to be damaged by their service in Viet- all these years was not the public cess story—the Potemkin hero—more than Sanae Zahani lost no sister in the tragedy nam were never stationed “in country” or perception, and so raising money n the surface these lies seem it values the prosaic truth.“The consequence and is one of the first to be caught fabricat- were never in the military. According to was a nightmare.” Burkett approached this plus many more phony heroes in communi- to offer little benefit beyond is that you get politicians all telling log cabin ing a connection to America’s worst terror- Burkett, of the 8.7 million men and women challenge the only way he knew how. He ties across the country. an increase in credibility, stories and running away from stories of priv- ist attack, but surely she will not be the last. who served either in the military, the Nation- began researching Vietnam veterans in the In his book Stolen Valor, written with Glen- authenticity, or authority, ilege,”explains Victor. As time passes, more and more people will al Guard or the reserves during the Vietnam National Archives, filing hundred of requests na Whitley, Burkett reports on the dozens of while the downside—humil- According to John Sloop, associate pro- likely claim to have been at “ground zero” on era, only 2.7 million were actually in Viet- for military documents under the Freedom pseudo vets, including killers who have lied iation, loss of job, public derision—is enor- fessor of communication studies at Vander- that fateful day. nam. Of those few million, only 15 percent of Information Act. What he uncovered was about having post-traumatic stress disorder Omous. What would make people fabricate bilt, the end result of placing so much value Being suspicious of such stories does not were sent into combat. In fact, Burkett has a massive distortion that has cost the U.S. to beat murder charges, sham war heroes portions of their lives? on the veneer of the heroic is “to add to the necessarily have to degrade our trust, how- amassed an astonishing wealth of data to taxpayers billions of dollars. Burkett’s work featured in award-winning documentaries, Bella DePaulo, a University of California general cultural cynicism. It ultimately makes ever. We must make distinctions between the suggest Vietnam vets are not the “damaged has toppled national political leaders and and con men who have parlayed their lies of psychologist, has studied lying in Ameri- everybody’s background suspect.”As a result types of trusts and beliefs we can accept at goods” of popular mythology. His research put criminals in jail. The rogues gallery of fal- heroism into bestselling biographies and can culture and has found that in 20 percent Victor suggests that trust functions in an face value, like our expectation that cars will has found that 71 percent of those who sifiers includes such well-known public fig- national acclaim. of the interactions that last more than 10 episodic fashion. “We take these hits, and stop for us, and those suspicions that make served in Vietnam have gone on to attend ures as the actor Brian Dennehy; Pulitzer “Why people take the risks given the minutes, Americans are likely to utter a fib. because we need to trust, we try to find other citizens fire off Freedom of Information Act college. Vietnam veterans have a higher per Prize-winning historian Joseph Ellis; former chance of exposure and subsequent humil- Are we simply a nation of liars, or is there a places to put our trust. We have just gone requests to the government. The difference capita income, higher home ownership rate, Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke; Adm. iation—I’m not sure,” ponders Schwartz. deeper malaise of which these fabrications through a period where the business class might seem obvious, but in a culture where less incarceration, and less drug addiction. Jeremy “Mike” Boorda, chief of naval oper- With Burkett ready to fire off a Freedom of are only a symptom? has been lionized and achievement in busi- accepted truths are increasingly called into Even today, with unemployment hovering ations at the Pentagon; Texas Vietnam Vet- Information Act request, many now think In University of California historian Karen ness was utilized as a signal for trust. So we question, knowing where the limits of rela- around 6 percent, among veterans the unem- erans of America Chapter President and twice about padding their military record. Halttunen’s classic study Confidence Men and wanted politicians and civic leaders who were tivism lie can be a remarkable comfort. V ployment rate is barely above 3 percent. National Committee Chairman John Woods; LABAN CARRICK HILL

32 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 33 By RAY WADDLE, MA’81

In 1960, Divinity School student James Lawson was asked to withdraw from Vanderbilt. He chose not to do so.

DAYSHis decision changed the way insiders andof the nation viewed the University. THUNDER The Lawson Affair

PHOTO BY NEIL BRAKE 35 n March 21, 1960, the Divinity School dedicated its new building complex and chapel. It was eagerly awaited. The school had been part of Vanderbilt from the beginning, nearly a century before, surviving church squabbles, economic hard times, damage by fire. The new quadrangle was to be a tribute to the school’s growing national reputation. It was to be a permanent symbol of progressive Christian spirituality in the conservative Protestant South.

On dedication day, however, things were “It was not possible to build a major uni- Onot well. Festivities were subverted by a length- versity with this problem,”recalls Charles ening shadow of conflict. A nightmarish con- Roos, retired professor of physics who became troversy over racial justice, civil disobedience a key negotiator in resolving the Lawson affair. and University power was fast getting nation- “This thing just had to be settled.” al attention. Despite the new building, the In the spring of 1960, the Lawson crisis future of the Divinity School was in jeopardy. would test Vanderbilt’s self-identity to new Crisis was nigh. Within weeks, most of the limits. The ordeal threatened to set Vander- GERALD HOLLY, COURTESY OF THE TENNESSEAN 16 divinity professors would submit resig- bilt back by years as a national research insti- nations, with other University faculty poised tution. Top-notch faculty were ready to leave learned how to deal with conflict—and it phy of Vanderbilt University, it is used for the The expulsion of James Lawson from the Divini- to follow. Administrative leaders would soon the University over it, and major foundation was lucky to have weathered it.” narrative to follow. ty School sparked national debate. On the Van- derbilt campus, students protested outside threaten to shut down the Divinity School funding would likely disappear with them. A new book, a history of the Divinity School “When it is a conflict like the one in 1960,” Kirkland Hall in support of Lawson. altogether and, if need be, hand the newly As it turned out, the Lawson episode was a called Vanderbilt Divinity School: Education, Lawson, now past 70, recalls in Vanderbilt dedicated building over to the Law School. soul-searching referendum on what the Uni- Contest, and Change,revisits the episode, Divinity School,“where we had the city on no one had an easy time grasping. The turmoil of the Lawson affair, as it was versity wanted to be—either a major center offering fresh perspectives and the clarity of one side, a determined movement on the Through exasperated effort and courage, called, would engulf the campus before it was of learning or, as critics put it, a “southern 40 years’ hindsight. The book’s Lawson chap- other side, and the University, that has explo- the thing was settled by mid-June 1960. Reper- over. The conflict sprang from the expulsion finishing school.”It was a showdown of clash- ter is a transcript of a 1998 roundtable dis- sive qualities that none of us could have pre- cussions were felt on campus for years and of a divinity student, James Lawson, for his ing values—Vanderbilt’s reach for national cussion that included various participants dicted or understood. So it was trial by still leave their mark. And it has led to endless off-campus leadership in Nashville’s fledg- status versus sectional traditionalism and fear from those days. They include Charles Roos experiment, by error, for all of us.” debate ever since about the legacy and char- ling civil rights movement. The controver- of change. In the minds of many, it was the and James Lawson himself, now a retired The Lawson controversy involved epic acter of Chancellor Harvie Branscomb, who sy pitted Divinity’s pro-Lawson supporters most critical moment in the history of Van- Methodist minister in Los Angeles after a long negotiations and miscalculations, contested had Lawson expelled in the first place. Iron- against Chancellor Harvie Branscomb and derbilt University. career in parish ministry and social advoca- facts, seat-of-the-pants judgment calls, careers ically, it was Branscomb who led Vanderbilt the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. Despite all “It was a defining event, and still is,”says cy. Edited by church historian Dale John- put at risk, political naiveté and personal tor- into racial integration (one of its schools, that efforts, University officers were seeing a fast- Eugene TeSelle, retired professor of church son of the Divinity School, the book will stand ment. What began as a personnel matter— is) in 1952, but he was blamed for the racial- spreading public relations meltdown that history at the Divinity School. “In a sense as one of the crucial sources for understanding the expulsion of Lawson—blew up into a ly charged Lawson episode eight years later. might sabotage Vanderbilt’s dreams of nation- Vanderbilt was lucky to have had this crisis that era of campus history. Along with Paul national fracas, the result of defensiveness and “One of the things I have reflected upon al standing and repute. at this period in history—the University Conkin’s book Gone with the Ivy: A Biogra- distrust in a time of rapid social change that is that I feel very strongly that Harvie

36 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 37 Branscomb made a major error in his life,” King, who urged him to come South in the draw on higher laws of faith and civilization, Lawson says. “He obviously did not have struggle for justice for black Americans. the power of biblical righteousness, hoping enough people around him to help him get Impressed with Vanderbilt and with the to shame the merchants into seeing the through in a fashion that could have reduced cadre of educated African American students immorality of their practices against fellow the tension in the University. My own major in the local black colleges, Lawson came to human beings. reflection as I look back upon it is that we Nashville as staff organizer for the peace-ori- The sit-ins reached an early peak at the have to accept the man as he was, as we have ented Fellowship of Reconciliation, as well end of February 1960. Scores of black stu- to accept ourselves, because in the situation as a divinity student. dents (and some white students) were taking we get, we all make errors.” January 1960 was the last moment the bub- part. Hostilities edged toward confrontations From the University’s viewpoint, James ble of southern segregation could still appear with angry whites who surrounded the sit- Lawson in 1960 was sabotaging Branscomb’s complacently safe and sound in Nashville. in students at the downtown lunch spots. careful plan of easing the broader Universi- Segregation was being tested or struck down Lawson was portrayed in the local newspa- ty into a new world of racial equality. The Law- elsewhere. The year 1954 was the beginning pers as an outspoken leader of the new move- son episode, coming when it did, forced an of the end, when racial separatism was legal- ment, an outsider who defied local authorities unwelcome revolution of thought and action. ly discredited by the Brown v. Board of Edu- in the name of divine laws of justice and dig- “Until 1960, Chancellor Branscomb suc- cation decision against a segregated education nity for black Americans. cessfully, but not without difficulty, walked system. Desegregation of Nashville schools On Feb. 27, 1960, the young demonstra- a tightrope over the volatile passions of a was slowly under way, with gusts of resistance tors were rounded up and arrested by the racial revolution in the making,”Conkin and even violence along the way. dozens, charged with disorderly conduct writes in Gone with the Ivy. But social segregation of black and white or loitering. Lawson denounced these as “But all political maneuvering ran aground continued—restaurants, movie theaters, trumped-up misdemeanors, legal “gimmicks,” in 1960 in the complicated case of one James restrooms, taxi cabs, every nook of public he said, for shutting down the protests and Lawson, the most divisive episode in all of life. In Nashville in early February 1960, this legitimating injustice. He urged demonstra- Vanderbilt’s history.” age-old pattern was challenged in a new way, tors to continue the sit-ins. Thus Lawson James Lawson was a 30-year-old transfer by a revolutionary but untested paradigm urged defiance of local laws. COURTESY OF THE TENNESSEAN

… the Lawson episode was a soul-searching referendum on what the University wanted to be— meeting March 3, the executive committee When Branscomb arrived as chancellor Lawson trained black students who staged sit- of the Board of Trust agreed. in 1946, Vanderbilt was thoroughly tradi- ins at Nashville’s downtown department store either a major center of learning or, as critics put it, The book Vanderbilt Divinity School notes, tional, segregationist, southern. It was a white lunch counters. His work as staff organizer for the Fellowship of Reconciliation alarmed mem- “At this meeting the executive committee monolith, like any other major school in the bers of Vanderbilt’s Board of Trust. a “southern finishing school.” It was a showdown of clashing values … determined that Lawson would be given until South at mid-century. There was no min- 9 a.m. the next day to decide whether to with- gling of races, no black students or faculty. Testament scholar himself, a Methodist the- student from Oberlin School of Theology in and moral calculus—non-violent civil dis- Timing proved fateful. Media publicity draw from the University or be expelled.” The only jobs for blacks were menial ones. ologian who appreciated Nashville’s religious Ohio when he entered the Vanderbilt Uni- obedience and direct action. James Lawson about Lawson’s off-campus activities erupt- Lawson refused to quit, so he was expelled But the post-war climate was changing. New establishment. During his Vanderbilt tenure, versity Divinity School in 1958. He was an was instrumental in bringing it to town. ed at the same time the executive commit- the next day. This pleased powerful board ideas of racial integration weren’t going away. he was pleased to see the Divinity School attract intellectual, a well-traveled Methodist min- Black students staged sit-ins at Nashville’s tee of Vanderbilt’s Board of Trust was meeting member James Stahlman, publisher of the Branscomb knew desegregation had to nationally known scholars for the first time. ister and an African American. He brought downtown department store lunch counters, in early March 1960. Alarmed that Lawson Nashville Banner,which was editorializing be faced sooner or later. He aimed to raise In 1952 Branscomb issued a plan for inte- other uncustomary credentials: He was an which did not admit blacks. The young pro- was on record flouting the law, Branscomb stoutly against Lawson’s off-campus agita- the University’s profile and eliminate barri- grating the University, aiming to complete Ohio Yankee, and a pacifist. testers had been trained for weeks in non- pressed for clarification of the views of this tions. To the rest of the board, too, Lawson’s ers to regional and national stature in the it by the time he retired in 1962. Prompt- Lawson’s passion was social justice. He violent strategies of civil disobedience—trained troublemaking student. He knew the con- expulsion seemed a relatively straightfor- post-war boom of progress. As Conkin notes, ing the action, in part, were Divinity School had gone to jail as a conscientious objector to take verbal and physical abuse and arrest servative-minded Board of Trust would be ward matter, over and done with. This came he unveiled plans for starting new construction, professors who declared they could no longer during the Korean War. Then, as a mis- without fighting back—in order to challenge upset, too. Through the dean of the Divin- at a time when the board was contemplat- expanding the campus, raising faculty salaries. in good conscience abide segregation in the sionary abroad, he had studied philosophies unjust or immoral social practices. ity School, Robert Nelson, Lawson providing a major capital fund drive for the Uni- He worked to subdue the power of the fra- school. (It was called the School of Religion of non-violence in India, the homeland of Lawson, planning to graduate from Divin- ed a statement of his beliefs and strategies. versity. Lawson’s sudden notoriety was ill-timed ternities and sororities and inject a more stu- at the time. The name changed to the Divin- Gandhi. He returned to Ohio, eager to apply ity School in May 1960, trained students for But Branscomb didn’t get what he wanted— publicity nobody wanted. dious spirit into campus life. ity School in 1956.) activist strategies to the American scene. At the sit-ins. He wasn’t interested in testing the a strong assurance that Lawson would obey Chancellor Branscomb, eager to bring a Branscomb had special fondness for the As Branscomb saw it, the integration of Oberlin he met Martin Luther King Jr., whose constitutionality of current laws by taking a the laws of the land. southern university to national prominence, Divinity School. He had been dean of Duke’s the University would be an exceedingly del- prestige as civil rights prophet was nearing grievance through a skein of ponderous court So Branscomb declared Lawson should had pondered the matter of segregation him- divinity school when he accepted the Van- icate operation to carry off. The timetable its height. Lawson’s experiences fascinated decisions. He and others wanted instead to drop out of school or be kicked out and, self for years. derbilt chancellorship. He trained as a New had to unfold slowly. There was no point

38 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 39 alienating alumni donors or causing unrest eat at Rand. But no one told me. Two or three gradualist on race, a southern liberal who Lawson was portrayed by the local media as an on campus, he reasoned. times a week, my (white) friends in Divini- was sure that constitutional law would side outspoken leader of the new movement, an outsider who defied local authorities in the name Integration of the School of Religion began ty and I would eat there. So a black person with black Americans and inevitably bring of divine laws of justice and dignity for black in 1953, when a distinguished black minis- was visible on campus. Did anything bad changes benefiting them. His loyalty was to Americans. ter in Jackson, Tenn., Joseph Johnson, made happen? Of course not.” law and working within the legal process; he application. Branscomb took the request Other schools on campus slowly opened could not support civil disobedience as a academic freedom and moral principle at one to the board, which approved it. their doors to integration in the 1950s—the weapon of social change. school tarnishes the whole University. This The decision made Vanderbilt the first Law School, the Graduate School. In 1960, Writing years later, Branscomb said tak- group notably included a half-dozen profes- private university in the Southeast volun- there was but a small handful of black grading no action against Lawson would have sors in the Medical School. Their resignations tarily to allow integration at any of its schools. uate students—perhaps three—at Vander- wrecked the University’s plan for integration. would mean that millions of dollars in research No big fanfare was made about it. It was bilt, while the undergraduate college remained “The circumstances at the time must be kept funds would probably go with them and possible elsewhere on campus not even to unintegrated, unchanged. Traditional assump- in mind,”he writes in Purely Academic: An muddy the Vanderbilt name nationwide. know that integration was now official in tions about race relations continued unchal- Autobiography.“In Nashville the situation This got Branscomb’s attention. One of one of the schools. It was understood that lenged in the larger world of Vanderbilt life. was tense and inflammable. In the Southeast, the non-divinity professors ready to resign the new black student’s presence on campus Then Lawson got expelled. This time things Vanderbilt was carrying the risks of integra- was Roos, a 33-year-old associate professor would be discreetly restricted. Because he were different. Most divinity professors were tion in private universities and colleges. We of physics. He had joined the Vanderbilt fac- was a family man, he would live off campus: livid. They were shocked. A student of theirs still had the critical step to take in the three COURTESY OF THE TENNESSEAN ulty in 1959 and had a cordial relationship Thus a dreaded debate over an old taboo, the had been kicked out without a hearing, and undergraduate colleges, in the Medical School with the chancellor. Now he used that good integration of student housing, was avoid- without faculty consultation. Having inte- and in campus housing. To permit one unco- he Lawson affair boiled through the three decades of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. will to press Branscomb for a solution before ed, for now. grated before many other regional universi- operative student who was, in fact, a paid the semester. Various delega- Lawson, no longer in school in March it was too late. It was a flawed arrangement, critics say. ties dared, Vanderbilt now appeared to be on organizer, to wreck this program seemed tions of divinity faculty still 1960, meanwhile went about his civil rights On June 8 he met with Branscomb and The policy could claim that Vanderbilt was the wrong side of the race issue, rejecting a wasteful of much effort and much good will.” hoped to resolve the conflict field work across the South. There was plen- the chairman of the Board of Trust, Harold quietly integrated, but it neglected to engage civil rights movement that was gaining nation- Feeding the climate against Lawson at the with administrators. Depth of ty to do. He provided sit-in leadership in S. Vanderbilt, a great-grandson of founder the whole campus in working through the al momentum and sympathy. time was a festering fear of anarchy on cam- feeling about the issue flashed periodically. Nashville, too. Also, his new fame brought Commodore himself. Roos pleaded with moral reasons for it. “The consensus was that Branscomb was pus. University elders had glimpsed the specter TAt the March 21 dedication of the Divinity him invitations from divinity schools nation- these two elders to find a compromise before “The school’s compromising posture of too wise to let the matter go further. We were of student unrest during the 1950s, though School, some of the out-of-state guest speak- wide asking him to enroll there. the resignations could take effect and dam- ers publicly embarrassed Branscomb by crit- Back at the Divinity School, as the semes- age Vanderbilt immeasurably. icizing the University for expelling Lawson, ter ended, the issue was ready to detonate. Conditions were not favorable. There was The Lawson controversy involved epic negotiations as Conkin’s book notes. Divinity alumni cir- Professors were eager to take some sort of mutual hostility between Branscomb and culated a petition urging Lawson’s return. action before graduation. Talks with admin- the divinity faculty. Reporters were all over and miscalculations, contested facts, seat-of-the-pants judgment calls, Outside the Divinity School, cadres of pro- istration had stalemated. By mid-May, deseg- campus, chasing tidbits and rumors, half fessors were making their own pro-Lawson regation had been achieved at some of the expecting a final conflagration would bring careers put at risk, political naiveté and personal torment. views known to Kirkland Hall. Nashville stores, and without riotous vio- the University down. A thousand miles away, other divinity stu- lence. That seemed to vindicate the sit-in Now, though, serious but private negoti- requesting the University’s permission to amazed when we were later told that Law- it had nothing to do with race. Occasional dents were protesting the Lawson case. At strategy. The nation was watching. Other ations ensued involving Harold Vanderbilt, desegregate its own space while not pressing son was to be dismissed,”says Lou Silber- mob scenes, sometimes starting as panty Yale, they followed the news from Nashville, divinity schools were watching. Editorials Branscomb and Roos. Terms were compli- it to universalize the principle of racial inclu- man, a former divinity professor who took raids, or random student clashes with police, and one spring day more than 200 students declaimed about Lawson, pro or con, in news- cated. There had to be a way to reinstate Law- sion throughout its domain failed to prepare part in the roundtable conversation for the were inane but real outbursts that shaped marched to publicize support for Lawson. papers coast to coast. son while allowing administration and board the University for the trauma it would con- new book. the adults’ sense of dread of campus chaos “Here was a guy, Jim Lawson, who was Divinity faculty decided to vote to admit to save face. There had to be a way to bring front a few years later (with) James Lawson,” The episode was aired in the press as never in whatever form. objecting to segregation, and he was in divin- Lawson for the summer session so that he back the faculty but also arrange for the says Peter Paris, a former divinity professor, before. The Nashville sit-in movement, Branscomb’s critics, on the other hand, ity school, and we were in divinity school, and could complete his degree. They would bring removal of the divinity dean, Robert Nelson, writing in Vanderbilt Divinity School. and Vanderbilt’s connection, were becom- have called him an inflexible autocrat, a law- so we wanted to be in solidarity with him,” their recommendation to Branscomb—and a conspicuous defender of Lawson. According to Lawson, racial justice could ing a daily story. The power of mass media, and-order southerner born in segregation- recalls Johnson, editor of Vanderbilt Divinity quit if their proposal was rejected. On May At this point, Roos recalls, Harold Van- not be applied piecemeal. including the relatively new medium of ist Alabama. They blame him for letting School,who protested as a Yale student. 30 it was indeed turned down. More than derbilt, well into his 70s, took charge. The “The University had to recognize that a television, was only dimly perceived and his fear of disorder—and fear of a conser- Four students marching that day at Yale half of the 16 divinity faculty turned in their eminent New Yorker had been on the board desegregation process on a campus had to much underestimated. Suddenly, Kirkland vative Board of Trust, a group of aging white would loom in the destiny of Vanderbilt resignations. since 1950—a legendary figure from Amer- be more than cosmetic,”Lawson says in a Hall was getting calls from the wire servic- males, mostly products of Old South values, Divinity School. Johnson, TeSelle, Peter Hodg- The plot thickened. A number of other ica’s monied class, a world-famous yachts- recent interview.“They were trying to main- es, from the New York Times:Why was James loyal to the beloved Vanderbilt of their youth— son, and Sallie McFague were eventually hired University professors (perhaps 20 out of more man, the inventor of contract bridge. But he tain control without a real plan. We (African Lawson kicked out? override any sympathy for a black man like and became part of a faculty core that gave than 400) decided they too should resign. was never much emotionally involved with American students) were not supposed to Branscomb’s defenders have called him a Jim Lawson. stability and identity to the place through Their view was that an unraveling crisis of the southern university that bore the fami-

40 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 41 ly name—until now. The bad publicity was proposal. The sticking point, apparently, was up on getting back in at Vanderbilt and after vigorous campus debate and much disciplinary hearings. Also, the crisis helped “The Lawson affair, and the courage of becoming a family embarrassment for Harold that the board refused to accept the return was now enrolled at Boston University, where undergraduate dismay, though no black stu- clarify relations and define lines of authori- the faculty, looms large in my own under- Vanderbilt. of a renegade divinity faculty. he graduated in August. He never received a dents actually enrolled until 1964. ty between faculty and administration, per- standing of the identity of the school,”says “To him it was a ridiculous situation,” “Surprisingly, a majority were willing to degree from Vanderbilt University. “The Lawson affair was one of the major haps hastening a more democratic model of ethics professor Howard Harrod, who retired Roos says in Vanderbilt Divinity School.“He award a degree to Lawson so long as it was Branscomb, who died in 1998 at age 103, events in the University’s life, but I don’t think campus governance. in spring 2002 after a Vanderbilt teaching did not appreciate that the administration in absentia but were not willing to rein- always said the Lawson affair had nothing to the University, in dealing with social issues, “Chancellors ran the University out of career of more than 30 years.“The published had not been able to solve it. He did not appre- state the rebelling faculty,”Conkin writes. do with race and everything to do with a rene- learned that much from it,”says Gene Dav- their pocket back then,”says Frank Gulley, a commitments are logically related to that ciate the divinity faculty. To him, he was in Within days, rumors spread that Branscomb gade student unwilling to uphold the law. enport, a divinity student in 1960 and now divinity student in 1960 who later became a maelstrom.” charge of a university with problems about was threatening to resign. Some 160 facul- “The University’s position,”Branscomb professor of religion at Lambuth College in Divinity School professor. “Today a chan- Divinity officials say this comprehensive to explode. The people from Life were there, ty (out of 195 contacted from the pool of 428, wrote in March 1960,“thus was not to oppose Jackson, Tenn.“We’ll have to wait for the next cellor is more democratic, more likely to con- roster of committed values, unusual for a and he didn’t like it. He sat there and drove according to Conkin) signed a petition in the sit-in movement, nor to discipline the social crisis to see.” sult deans and faculty. The democratization major seminary, is a significant recruiting that meeting.” support of Branscomb and Harold Van- individual for infringement of a particular Others say the Lawson chapter forced Van- of academic institutions was already taking tool for the school. A proposed solution, to be presented to derbilt against the board. Meanwhile, the law, but to state that no student could remain derbilt to do some hard thinking about race. place at the time.” In later life, both Branscomb and Lawson the board, was hammered out over several University of Chicago reportedly put up an in good standing who in a potentially riotous Writer Roy Blount Jr. was a freshman in spring Off campus, the turmoil of 1960 became regretted never meeting in the wake of those hours by Branscomb and Harold Vanderbilt, offer to hire all the Vanderbilt Divinity pro- situation commits himself to an organized 1960, writing about the sit-in movement for part of the legend of the Nashville sit-in move- stormy days and weeks of 1960. with Roos there as adviser, go-between and fessors who quit. program of deliberate violation of law.” The Vanderbilt Hustler. ment. It solidified the Nashville movement’s In Vanderbilt Divinity School,Joseph messenger to the divinity faculty. The pro- This runaway climate of chaos set the stage During the turmoil, Lawson and Branscomb “It was all very heady at the time,”recalls reputation as the most effective model of Hough, divinity dean in the 1990s, recalls posal was: Faculty resignations would be for one final showdown. It was almost anti- never met face to face. Battle was waged through Blount, who was raised in Georgia. “For us, non-violent resistance across the region. elderly Branscomb’s lingering feelings: “As the Lawson episode raised the whole issue of “My expulsion became an example in the our friendship deepened, he began to share race and integration to begin with. Most of movement of a person’s willingness to pay with me some of his reflections on his own us Deep-South kids had gone to schools where the price,”Lawson says. “It became a way career at Vanderbilt, his high points and Battle was waged through intermediaries, there were no black students. So when it to strengthen our witness.” his low points. The one matter that seemed written communiqués, and newspaper quotes. was time to debate integration in the Uni- In the short term, the Divinity School itself to trouble him most was his decision to expel versity, this was exciting. To me it was a sim- suffered loss of prestige after the bumpy ride James Lawson. He said that he put himself To this day, debate is unsettled about whether they [Branscomb and Lawson] should have met, ple issue. It was wrong, it was tacky, not to of that spring semester. As Conkin notes, it into a very difficult position by deferring accept black students. But it was the black stu- was placed on probation for a year by the Amer- to his Board of Trust in what he later saw gotten to know each other, and somehow defused the crisis early on. dents, the sit-in protesters, who were taking ican Association of Theological Schools, owing to be an administrative decision.” all the risks, getting hit over the head.” to low faculty morale and poor relations between In 1996, 36 years after the storm, that regret withdrawn, Dean Nelson’s resignation would climactic: On June 13, Branscomb, with Harold intermediaries, written communiqués, and Ultimately for Branscomb, the Lawson faculty and Vanderbilt administration and was redressed. Hough arranged a meeting be accepted, and Lawson would be allowed Vanderbilt’s backing, simply decreed to the newspaper quotes. To this day, debate is unset- outcome helped give the aging chancellor board. Dean Nelson left the school in August between these two would-be ideological rivals, to take his degree. As Conkin and others note, board that reinstating the faculty rebels was tled about whether they should have met, confidence and clout to carry on with his pro- 1960 and eventually became dean of Boston in the Nashville home of Branscomb, then 101. the politics of the moment required ambi- an administrative matter. It was Branscomb’s gotten to know each other, and somehow gram of academic and campus life improve- University’s School of Theology. “We actually visited as two human beings,” guity: Lawson would be reinstated but not responsibility, not the board’s, and he would defused the crisis early on. ments before he retired, Roos argues.“Harvie Within a few years, Vanderbilt Divinity Lawson recalls, “as men who had been seen readmitted. He could complete his degree quit if the board didn’t see it his way. “Harvie Branscomb saw Jim Lawson as a Branscomb retired in 1962, and I think he School had increased enrollments and attract- as adversaries. We had a very pleasant visit (for instance, by correspondence or transfer The board backed down. The professors radical who messed up his timetable for inte- lost practically a semester on his program, ed new professors of national stature, launch- in his home. I felt no animosity in the man, of credits) but not return to campus while were allowed to withdraw their resignations. gration instead of a man of devout faith who with the problems of the Divinity School and ing a 30-year era of high-profile stability. The and I had none toward him. He by then had Branscomb was chancellor. Lawson was allowed to pursue his degree if saw himself as a pastor,”says Walter Harrel- Lawson. On the other hand, I think it made 1969 part-time hiring of Kelly Miller Smith, recognized that he allowed some things to “Branscomb was scared of (board mem- he so chose. The crisis was officially over. son, Hebrew Bible professor who later became him more determined than ever to push this the prominent Nashville African American take a wrong turn in 1960, and he let me know ber) Stahlman, there is no question of that,” “I think this made the board happy because dean of the Divinity School (1967-75).“If program. Harold Vanderbilt had pushed him pastor who had hosted Lawson’s 1960 work- he had moved beyond where he was. I let Roos says.“In defense of Branscomb, it is not they frankly had the reaction that Branscomb Branscomb could have talked to Lawson, the beyond where his local board wanted him to shops on non-violent protest, happened in him know that at no time did I harbor any a question of his administrative ability. He had created the problem in the first place,” whole mess could have been avoided.” go, and he had won. This gave Branscomb Lawson’s wake. ill will toward him, and that I never broke just did not feel he had the power to buck Roos says.“They had done what he had asked The consequences of the Lawson affair more courage to proceed.” The Lawson affair also sealed the Divin- faith with him as a fellow United Methodist.” Stahlman. He was trapped. He had seen the initially, then they were asked to reverse them- for the University were many, some meas- Resolving the Lawson trauma resulted in ity School’s local reputation as a liberal citadel, The encounter turned out to be a rich collapse of all that he had worked to achieve. selves —why did they throw the student out urable, some speculative. an uninterrupted flow of national founda- for better or worse. Eventually a series of pub- moment for two remarkable men and a sym- He did not see any way out until Harold Van- in the first place? If it was an administra- People speculate whether the turmoil has- tion money to University researchers. Bequests lished commitments to racial equality and bolic closing to the rockiest semester in Van- derbilt began to use his power and show that tive problem, then they did not have to take tened integration University-wide. Society continued from Harold Vanderbilt who, social justice appeared in the annual Divin- derbilt University history. V there was another side to this issue.” any action. Also, it was clear to the board that was moving quickly toward sympathy for according to Roos, took a more active inter- ity catalogue, a direct result of the Lawson The crisis flared to a climax the next day, if they objected, they were going to lose both integration in the early 1960s in any case. The est in the University until his death in 1970. turbulence. Today that list of commitments June 9. The executive committee of the Board Branscomb and Vanderbilt.” undergraduate college officially adopted a The Lawson episode resulted in better has expanded to include opposition to sex- rejected the Branscomb/Harold Vanderbilt Ironically, Lawson by early June had given policy of integration in 1962. It happened campus procedures for handling student ism and homophobia.

42 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 43 SingingThe timeless appeal of cowboy laments, lullabies and yodels.

intheSaddleBy D OUGLAS B. GREEN, MA’71

hen studying the popular portrayal of the for periods of time in particular circum- cowboy, it is fascinating to reflect how few of these stances, a tradition of song by or about those men and their work develops. Sailors, log- men are shown actually tending cattle. Folklorist J. gers, railroad workers, boatmen, miners and Frank Dobie observed that Owen Wister’s The Vir- others all have musical traditions. ginian is “the classic cowboy novel without cows,”and Wister’s book is far As for cowboys, even witnesses who were there in the days before singing became a Wfrom alone in this peculiarity. In films this fantasy, upon the lowly figure of the cowboy. profession on record and radio and film can’t contradiction is exaggerated to the extreme. So the young, displaced skilled laborers seem to agree. Journalist John Baumann The cowboy hero is often a lawman or ranger, who were the real cowboys have taken on a wrote for the Fortnightly Review of April 1, openly or undercover; he may be a cattleman huge psychic and cultural load. They have 1887:“The younger hands are whiling away or ranch foreman; he may be a drifter, a doc- become, through the imaginative eyes of writ- the time ‘whittling’ and ‘plug chawing,’drawl- tor, or a two-fisted newspaperman—but sel- ers and singers and songwriters and film- ing out yarns of love and sport and singing dom is he portrayed as a bottom-level makers, the repository of our national dreams, ribald songs, until someone strikes up the workaday cowpoke. In a significant number transmogrified into heroes and peacemak- favorite wail ‘Oh bury me not on the lone of the singing-cowboy films, he is a radio, ers. In addition, they carry the weight of nos- prairie, Where the coyotes howl and the wind stage, or film performer, righting wrongs talgia, for they represent for us the wilderness blows free.’” with fists and guns between performances. we will never know, an era we can never expe- Harry Stephens, claiming authorship of What he is, really, is a professional hero, with rience, yet one that we seem to feel is price- “The Night Herding Song,”told John Lomax: no need to perform such messy chores as less beyond measure. All these conflicting “Well, we always got night-herd years ago when dehorning or branding. and complementary impulses are inherent they didn’t have so many fences and corrals, Plainly, that spirit of independence, of in western music as well. This is why the cow- and that was the biggest job for the cowboy. owing nothing to any person, of living up to boy, whose numbers have always been few, We generally have a two-hour shift, and two a personal code, is what generations have val- has come to mean so much to us, why the to four men on a shift according to the size of ued in this western hero, investing him with image and sound of his music—no matter the herd. And when I made up this song, why, properties real cowboys may or may not have how far parted from reality—has continued we always had so many different squawks and possessed. This is why the cowboy hero is to fascinate us and move us for more than a yells and hollers a-trying to keep the cattle frequently a man from nowhere; why it is century and a quarter. quiet, I thought I might as well have a kind of convenient to have him come to town or Popular mythology has cowboys croon- a song to it.”The highly regarded Texas folk- ranch with no past, no baggage, no ties; why ing soft lullabies and yodels to the cattle on lorist and historian J. Frank Dobie remarked it is simple for him, in these morality plays, the open ranges to pacify jittery longhorns, that “no human sound that I have ever heard to right wrongs and clear up injustice with singing old familiar songs and hymns from approaches in eeriness or in soothing melody quick decisions, quick draws, quick fists, and back home, or creating new songs or new that indescribable whistle of the cowboy,”while occasionally a song or two. In an increasingly verses to existing songs in the long, dark hours stockman Joseph McCoy wrote in 1874 that industrial and bureaucratic age, the appeal of the night. Although this image has long he had “many times sat upon the fence of a of a lone figure answering only to his own been highly romanticized, the association of shipping yard and sang to an enclosed herd conscience is strong indeed, and popular cul- music and the cowboy is not purely fictional. whilst a train would be rushing by. And it is

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME COLLECTIONS ture has settled this longing, this need, this Anywhere working men have been isolated surprising how quiet the herd will be so long

44 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 45 as they can hear the human voice. … Singing stampeded in grand shape. … I finally about gathered together for long periods of isola- turn of the 20th century. As early as 1901 the hymns to Texas steers is the peculiar forte of three o’clock got them stopped and after tion and boredom, any man who could come Journal of American Folklore published the a genuine cowboy, but the spirit of true piety singing a few ‘lullaby’ songs they all lay down up with the slightest fragment of enter- lyrics to “Oh Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie,” does not abound in the sentiment.” and went to snoring.”Later he describes a tainment besides poker or some other card and in 1909 it published “Songs of the West- Other contemporary accounts point to typical night on the trail:“The nights would game was providing welcome relief from the ern Cowboy,”collected by G.F.Will in North “Sam Bass” or “Red River Valley” as songs be divided up into four equal parts—one endless hours not actively spent at work. In Dakota. The most significant publication frequently sung by cowboys. J. Frank Dobie man ‘on’ at a time, unless storming, tormented lonely bunkhouses, in line camps and at trail was N. Howard (Jack) Thorp’s booklet Songs agreed:“Of course not all the cowboys on all with mosquitoes, or something of the kind, sides, some of the more creative of the band of the Cowboy, which appeared in 1908, fol- days sang. Many a waddie could no more when every one except the cook would have of men loosely defined as cowboys doubt- lowed in 1910 by John Avery Lomax’s land- carry a tune than he could carry a buffalo to be ‘out’ singing to them.” less dreamed up the poems that, when put mark Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads, bull. Often all hands were too busy fighting On the other hand, Jack Thorp, the first to old familiar melodies, became cowboy and in 1919 by his Songs of the Cattle Trail and cussin’ them dad-blamed cattle to sing. collector and one of the first composers of songs. Thus D.J. O’Malley’s 1893 poem “After and Cow Camp. Thorp was an amateur col- But in general the cowboys sang.”Ramon cowboy songs, proclaimed bluntly:“It is gen- the Roundup”—initially printed in the Stock lector (and writer as well; he “collected” his Adams recalled:“Away back at the beginnin’ erally thought that cowboys did a lot of singing Grower’s Journal—was popularized by cow- own “Little Joe the Wrangler”), while Lomax of the cow business, it didn’t take the cow- around the herd at night to quiet them on pokes who learned the verses and set the lyrics was a trained academic who borrowed heav- man long to savvy that the human voice gave the bed ground. I have been asked about this, to two very different melodies: the jaunty ily from Thorp. Lomax became a tireless cattle confidence, and kept ’em from junin’ and I’ll say that I have stood my share of night popular song “Little Old Log Cabin in the advocate for folk music in general, and cow- around. … The practice got to be so com- watches in 50 years, and I seldom heard singing Lane” and the tender waltz “After the Ball.” boy songs in particular, throughout his long mon that night herdin’ was spoken of as ‘sin- of any kind.” Only three decades later, having finally evolved life. Charles Siringo published a companion gin’ to ’em.’” And E.C. Abbott (Teddy Blue) Regardless of how much singing was done a tune of its own, this plaintive tale became volume to his A Lone Star Cowboy in Santa painted the legend in detail in his landmark on night guard, it is a fairly safe bet that in the first recorded cowboy music hit, in Carl Fe in 1919 called The Song Companion of a

book, We Pointed Them North: the days before radio, anytime men were T. Sprague’s 1925 version on Victor Records Lone Star Cowboy, and Charles Finger pub- AUTHOR’S COLLECTION One reason I believe there was so many under its now much more commonly lished Sailor Chanteys and Cowboy Songs in songs about cowboys was the known title,“When the Work’s All Done 1923 with a small Kansas publisher; it was custom we had of singing to the This Fall.” expanded and the sailor chanteys dropped cattle on night herd. The singing This sequence is probably pretty illus- when published as Frontier Ballads by Dou- Be in Texas for the Roundup in the Spring” Ramblers, to name a few early examples. was supposed to soothe them trative of the way most classic cowboy bleday, Page in New York in 1927. (based on a fragment of a folk song), “Let There is a tendency to venerate the folk and it did. … I know that if you songs were written. Some were art songs, Margaret Larkin was the first to include the Rest of the World Go By,”and “The Utah song and to denigrate the commercially com- wasn’t singing, any little sound like Dr. Brewster Higley’s 1873 “Home melodies for the lyrics in her 1931 antholo- Trail.”Many of these songs were recorded posed in reviewing any traditionally based in the night—it might be just a on the Range,”while others were folk gy, Singing Cowboy: A Book of Western Songs (on cylinder, and later on disc) by well-known music, but it is important to remember that horse shaking himself—could songs in the truest sense: a bare skele- (each song introduced, in the words of folk- stage artists of the time such as Len Spencer, even the most unpolished early recording make them leave the country; but ton of a tune and no story at all, with lorist Guy Logsdon, “by a short narrative Eddie Morton and Billy Murray. Murray, who artists were often professionals or semi-pro- if you were singing, they would- endless verses (occasionally exquis- with much romanticized nonsense”). And had a long vaudeville career and made records fessionals who performed music for an audi- n’t notice it. The two men on guard itely vulgar) added and subtracted by cowboy song popularizer, songwriter, and from 1903 well into the 1930s, recorded a ence, and who added to their repertoires as would circle around with their hundreds of bored or bemused radio star Jules Verne Allen published Cow- small but significant number of cowboy songs, they could—from the Victrolas, traveling horses at a walk, if it was a clear cowhands—for example, “The Old boy Lore in San Antonio in 1933. But by this though novelty and topical songs made up medicine shows, or vaudeville troupes. While night and the cattle was bedded Chisholm Trail,”which reputedly is time the line between cowboy folk songs and the bulk of his output. the Anglo-American folk song had hundreds down and quiet, and one man based on an English folk song called songs created for records and movies was More than a few of these Tin Pan Alley of years to develop, cowboy music was roman- would sing a verse of a song, and “A Dainty Duck.”“The Cowboy’s blurring. cowboy songs quickly entered the folk reper- ticized and popularized in just three decades. his partner on the other side of the Lament,”based on “The Unfortu- Owen Wister, in adapting his novel The toire and were recorded by country and cow- Many a performer was first drawn to the herd would sing another verse; and nate Rake,”dates back to at least 1790, Virginian for the stage, wrote his own cowboy artists in the 1920s and 1930s, when rural world of entertainment by a musician or you’d go through a whole song like and “Oh Bury Me Not on the Lone boy song, “Ten Thousand Cattle Roam- and folk music finally found its way to record, comedian performing in some long-forgot- “Sam Bass.” Prairie” is based on an 1839 poem ing,”to replace the minstrel tune the Virginian and records and record players became avail- ten tent, schoolhouse, or small-town theater. Likewise, Charles Siringo, whose called “The Ocean-Buried.”Other had sung in the novel. Tin Pan Alley had not able and affordable to a wider audience. Ver- Some of these songs became virtual folk A Texas Cowboy was one of the very first cowboy songs easily traceable to been long in discovering the cowboy and his non Dalhart, Patt Patterson and even Bradley songs, accepted as age-old with their authors looks at the life of the cowboy written English and Scottish songs in the music, and between 1905 and 1920 proceeded Kincaid recorded “I’d Like to Be in Texas (When unknown, although the real composer may AUTHOR’S COLLECTION by a cowboy, unequivocally paints a por- folk tradition include many of the to churn out clever, cheerful, and wholly inau- They Round Up in the Spring)” in those years; have been at that moment pounding away trait of cowboys singing, referring to an most beloved songs of this early period:“Utah thentic cowboy songs like “Cheyenne (Shy Everett Morgan recorded “Cheyenne” in 1933; at his next composition at a piano in New A now-rare 1932 songbook from Lois Dexter 1874 trail drive: “The steers showed a dis- Carroll,”“Texas Rangers” and others. Ann)” and “San Antonio” (both by Egbert and “Pride of the Prairie” was recorded by York or Los Angeles. and Patt Patterson. Patterson recorded a dozen position to stampede but we handled them songs for the American Record Corporation, Interest in the cowboy and his music, Van Alstyne and Harry H. Williams), “The Aaron Campbell’s Mountaineers, Tex Owens, By 1930 authentic cowboy songs had been easy and sang melodious songs which kept including his duets with Lois Dexter, but never fueled by the dime novel and the Wild West Pride of the Prairie,”“My Pony Boy,”“Rag- his sister Texas Ruby and her partner Zeke performed on record by concert singers, them quieted. But about one o’clock they achieved lasting fame. show, began to climb in earnest around the time Cowboy Joe,”“Sierra Sue,”“I’d Like to Clements, and Patsy Montana & the Prairie beginning with Bentley Ball’s “Jesse James”

46 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 47 and “The Dying Cowboy” in 1919. Carl T. ied, western music has walked hand-in-hand to the screen, except in the handful of cow- artist Emmett Miller, whose career peaked Sprague, Vernon Dalhart and Jimmie Rodgers with country music from the start, though boy songs of Jimmie Rodgers, “the Singing in the 1920s, though he continued to appear had national best-selling records of cowboy the relationship has shown its strains from Brakeman,”who found yodeling to be oblig- well into the 1950s.As Stanfield reports,“In songs; Gene Autry was featured on radio as time to time. Despite the fact that Billboard atory in most of his material. Although yodel- 1924 Billboard magazine, reporting on a show “Oklahoma’s Singing Cowboy”; and Warn- magazine dropped the catchall “Country- ing had been established in Autry’s repertoire at the New York Hippodrome, noted that er Baxter, Bob Steele, Ken Maynard and oth- Western” designation from its record charts for a number of years—he and many other Miller’s ‘trick singing stunt’ almost stopped ers had already sung in films, though the more than 30 years ago, it is still a commonly radio and recording artists learned the trick the show, and won him ‘encore after encore.’” singing was central neither to the plot nor used phrase among the public, who usually from the vastly influential Rodgers—there He suggests, though without any hard evi- the character. The visual and aural image of sees no distinction. Throughout his career is no evidence at all that traditional cowboys dence, that it was from Miller that Jimmie the cowboy loafing about with a guitar in his Gene Autry easily drifted in and out of pop- ever yodeled. It is probable that when there Rodgers learned the blue yodel, and this is idle hours was in no way jarring to the movie- ular, country and western music, as did most was singing, there was the use of the falset- certainly a plausible theory. Both men per- goer. Indeed, it was expected, as much a part of the singing cowboys. But popular music to voice, and a melody hummed in falsetto formed and traveled extensively, Rodgers was of the cowboy’s colorful trappings as his som- and jazz directly affected the sound of west- might generously be termed a yodel, but it is in and out of entertainment long before he brero, his rope, his tall boots and his chaps. ern music in the 1930s. From sophisticated extremely unlikely this ever went beyond the actually recorded, and he could have caught The western was becoming a genre of chords and chord progressions to the Djan- “whoo, whoo” sounds in a song like “The Cat- Miller’s yodeling act onstage just as easily as its own in literature, in song, on radio, on go Reinhardt-inspired guitar fills of Karl Farr, tle Call” (composed in the 1930s, though based that of any troupe of Alpine singers. On quite record, in comic strips and on film. With the the music shaped commercial western music on an earlier melody). It is conceivable that the other hand, longtime Jimmie Rodgers coming of sound to film, image and music as it matured. a kind of proto-yodeling was what Dobie was scholar Nolan Porterfield has posited just the were united, and a new character—the singing And there is the interesting anomaly of trying to describe when he referred to “the opposite: that Miller may have learned to cowboy—was preparing to step into the yodeling, which was never associated with indescribable whistle of the cowboy,”but to yodel from Rodgers in the days before either American consciousness, and with him devel- the cowboy before Gene Autry brought it the traditional cowboy singer the mournful of them recorded. Might not their influences oped, from these folk and popular sources, blue yodels of Jimmie Rodgers or the have been mutual? what we now think of as west- athletic yodels of the Alps were Regardless, yodeling predated them both. ern music. unknown and unanticipated. Eminent folk-music scholar Norm Cohen In time, cowboy bands in gen- It has long been said that Jimmie has pointed out that one of the Singing Brake- eral used the same instrumen- Rodgers created the blue yodeling man’s most evocative yodels, “Sleep, Baby, tation as the string bands of the style by combining his own Mis- Sleep,”was recorded, with yodeling, as early Southeast, although the feel was sissippi music, a rich mélange of as 1897 on a Berliner disc by George P.Wat- often far different. In the 1940s a rural black and white music, with son and was recorded a dozen times between smooth, pop-country sound came yodeling he had heard from a Swiss 1897 and 1917 by Watson and several others to exemplify the western music of or Bavarian troupe appearing at a (Pete La Mar, Frank Wilson, Ward Barton the era, but the century-long appeal tent show or vaudeville stage. This and Frank Carroll, Matt Keefe, and Lucy of western music has been, for the may indeed be true, but research Gates) on record labels like Edison, Zon-O- most part, the lyrics and the singer. by several scholars, including Peter Phone, Columbia and Victor. It was record- No truly identifiable “sound” has Stanfield, indicates that yodeling ed at least five times by hillbilly bands or

ever developed to set it significantly actually may have been introduced singers—including Frank Marvin, under the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME COLLECTIONS apart from country music, save its to the American stage by black- pseudonym Frankie Wallace—and by at least Patsy Montana, looking every inch a cowboy’s sweetheart in this 1930s publicity photo. peculiar and subtle loping beat. One face entertainer Tom Christian in three black quartets before Rodgers’ first can point out a jazz influence here, Chicago as early as 1847, and that recording. musical challenge. Although this next gen- Did cowboys sing? Did they yodel? It mat- a mariachi influence there, but the the yodel moved from minstrel- Although determining who was first eration of yodelers may have lost the sense ters to the historian, of course, but in the average ear does not hear these fine sy to country and cowboy music involves a great deal of speculation, what is of profound loneliness and loss, the new crop public mind the image was firmly in place: points—in the public mind, fiddles via medicine shows. It may be certain is that yodeling became vastly pop- of singers—including Roy Rogers, Elton the cowboy amusing himself, his cattle and and guitars have always branded west- significant that Gene Autry ular during Jimmie Rodgers’ short career, Britt, Wilf Carter (Montana Slim), Patsy his compadres with songs, yodels, guitar play- ern music as country. Intensifying appeared in a medicine show as spawning numerous yodelers in emulation Montana and Ray Whitley—brought to the ing, and music making. It is a perception that the association, the records of virtu- a teenager, but yodeling was of the Singing Brakeman: Johnny Marvin, art a fresh sense of excitement and drive. generations have adopted, and it is just this ally all cowboy and country singers apparently not required of him Ernest Tubb, Ray Whitley and Gene Autry. European yodeling had been fast and tricky; perception that made possible the movies were targeted toward the same rural for Dr. Fields’ Marvelous Med- Blue yodels were powerfully evocative, express- it took just a few talented singers to adapt and the songs that followed. V audience. Although the purist con- COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME COLLECTIONS icine Show, for it was Johnny ing loneliness, alienation, dejection and pain, the somewhat formal European approach to Reprinted with permission from Singing in siders western music a discrete style, Marvin who yodeled for Autry on his first as well as freedom and joy. They were rela- the sunbaked music of the cowboy and the the Saddle: The History of the Singing Cowboy A 1939 songbook for Al Clauser and His Okla- it continues to be firmly identified and con- homa Outlaws. Clockwise from bottom: Curly recordings in 1929. tively easy to master by any singer with the West, as did Rogers, Britt, Whitley and Carter by Douglas B. Green (c) 2002, published by fused with country music. Bray, Bud Roberts, Speed Foreman, Al Clauser The first great popularizer of the blue ability to break his voice, and the next gen- so very quickly in the early 1930s, and as did Vanderbilt University Press/Country Music And though its influences were quite var- and Tex Heoptner. yodel was well-known blackface vaudeville eration of cowboy singers made yodeling a Autry, who adapted well to the new style. Foundation Press.

48 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 49 TheBy GAYNELLE DOLLHustler Illustrations by JIM HSIEH

Student journalists trade sleep, top grades and summers abroad for the thrill of getting the story. Chronicles FROM THE HUSTLER

or more than 40 years now, newspaper read- that is a great combination of three things that enable OCTOBER 5, 1893 Enfield Ford, BA’50 ership by Americans has been in a slow decline. you to work out and build up your chops.” Former director of corporate With cable television and the Internet feed- The Vanderbilt Hustler,which printed its first issue A question which stares us in the face right now, and which cannot be creative services, Time-Warner Inc. ing them a steady diet of up-to-the-minute only five years after the University’s 1873 founding, settled at any other time, is whether or not we are going to have a exists without benefit of ties to any journalism pro- Vanderbilt majors: business FFnews, many Americans no longer make a habit of read- football team. … It is now two weeks since college opened, and there ing a daily paper over morning coffee or after dinner— gram—or, since 1998, any subsidies from the Univer- administration and economics have never yet been enough candidates on the field to make two particularly the 18- to 25-year-olds coveted by advertisers. sity. Hustler staffers take pride in the fact that, unlike Hustler cartoonist, 1946-50 The sad tale of century-old newspapers shutting down student newspapers at most universities, the Hustler is practice elevens. What sort of team can we develop under such their presses has been repeated in cities across the nation. 100 percent financially self-sufficient, paying for print- circumstances? You might as well expect a man to swim with nothing Futurists who have gone so far as to predict the evening, rent for the space it occupies in the Sarratt Cen- to swim in. … Shall our friends turn away sick with mortification and tual extinction of newspapers might have second thoughts ter, and small salaries for its advertising and editorial shame over the pitiable exhibition we make of ourselves, or shall we if they had witnessed a scene at Vanderbilt last fall. At staff. the annual Organization Fair, during which students— Students like Emily Abbott, editor of the Hustler dur- make them doubly and trebly our friends by showing them that there Lamar Alexander, BA’62 mostly freshmen—get information about hundreds of ing the spring 2002 semester, and Jennifer Whatley, edi- is the true stuff in us? … Shall we endure the taunts and jeers of our Currently running for U.S. Senate; opportunities to join everything from Ducks Unlim- tor for two semesters prior to Abbott, acknowledge that ancient enemy [Sewanee] without even the poor excuse of the umpire ited to the Vanderbilt Speculative Fiction Society, more working 60 to 70 hours a week on the paper means sleep former Tennessee governor; to blame for our wretched failure? … Are you helping to expose your former U.S. secretary of education than 500 students signed cards indicating their interest deprivation and a lower grade point average—for pay in working on the Vanderbilt Hustler. that averages out to be less than they could make walk- college to ridicule and disgrace, perhaps from purely selfish reasons Vanderbilt major: The majority of those who express interest each year ing across 21st Avenue South and working at Starbucks. —more likely from laziness? Latin American studies soon become overwhelmed by writing papers and prepar- But the rewards are worth it. By becoming involved in Hustler editor, 1961-62 ing for exams and having a life so that visions of getting the most important issues in the life of the University, a Hustler byline quickly fade—but for a surprising num- students who work on the Hustler bring information to ber of students, the Hustler becomes the defining Van- fellow students, speak out in print when they see the paths with people I never would have met otherwise. I derbilt experience, more important than top grades, the University taking, in their view, a wrong turn, and become can call up administrators on campus and catch up on start of a lifelong career. chroniclers of Vanderbilt’s history and zeitgeist. things. It’s nice to walk around campus and know who “I wrote a lot of words for the Hustler, banging out “There’s a certain pride that goes with walking to the deans are, to recognize the important players.” class and seeing someone reading your article,”says The position of Hustler editor has long been and Roy Blount, BA’63 long editorials late at night when I didn’t have to be careful and write what someone else wanted me to write,” Abbott.“Working on the Hustler has taught me how to remains one of the most powerful roles available to Van- Humorist, sportswriter, performer, says humorist Roy Blount, BA’63, one of Vanderbilt’s deal with a wide variety of people. It’s taught me to wade derbilt students. Chris Crain, BA’87, now editorial direc- author of 12 books most famous Hustler editors and the author of 12 books. through what’s important and what’s not. And it teach- tor and chief operating officer of Window Media, was Vanderbilt major: English “I think it’s good when you’re young to do a lot of what- es you how to deal with mistakes.” Hustler editor his sophomore year and editor of Ver- ever it is you hope to do in the future. Freedom to write “I’ve definitely learned more working on the Hus- sus his junior year. “I remember [Associate Provost of Hustler editor, 1962-63 what I pleased, an important subject and deadlines— tler than I did in any class,”says Whatley. “I’ve crossed Student Affairs] Johan Madson telling me how Van-

50 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 51 The Editor as Catalyst derbilt administrators would all swallow hard before OCTOBER 17, 1958 by Lamar Alexander they walked in the office on Tuesdays and Friday morn- lount and Lamar Alexander, BA’62,two south- ings, the days the Hustler came out, because they didn’t erners who attended Vanderbilt when it was Moaning freshman men display an almost unanimous condemnation know what was going to be in there,”says Crain. still an all-white school taking its first wob- toward the recent cancellation of the traditional Homecoming pajama “I was always a thorn in Joe B. Wyatt’s side. He was bly steps toward integration, both served as parade, a disorganized event which has occurred intermittently in fairly new, and I would write about how he wasn’t inter- Beditor during their senior years. Alexander, with the B Vandy history as long as members of the present administration can acting with students enough. I tried a thousand differ- encouragement of then-chancellor Harvie Branscomb, ent ways to get him to do an interview, but he had not who was struggling to convince a reluctant Board of recall. … given an interview to anyone in the Vanderbilt student Trust of the need for integration, wrote a series of edi- Tradition has motivated numerous pajama-clad, song-singing fresh- press,”Crain remembers. torials calling for Vanderbilt to desegregrate—at a time man classes to gather at Rand Hall the morning before the Finally, Crain showed up in Wyatt’s office and refused when the majority of the student body and the Student to leave until he got an interview.“His secretary threat- Senate favored preserving the status quo. Homecoming Game and, with the band and cheerleaders heading the ened to call security. I said fine, I’ll call my photogra- “The majority of Vanderbilt students were from the disturbance, descend upon downtown Nashville … T. Van Magers, BA’66 pher and we’ll do a story about it. Finally, after about South back then,”Alexander remembers. “Desegrega- Last year’s “harmless tour” included capricious capers such as Special agent, Federal Bureau three hours, Eliot Frankel, who was then head of pub- tion was a very unpopular point of view. I wasn’t harassed, kidnapping an LSU cheerleader, emblazoning large and beautiful yellow of Investigation lic affairs, came down and said, ‘You’ll get your inter- but I was considered a troublemaker for raising an issue view—now get out of here,’” Crain says. lettering on large and clean plate glass windows, and coasting up and Vanderbilt major: mathematics a lot of people thought I had no business raising. Peo- On Commencement day, as Crain walked across the ple regarded it as unnecessary, almost impolite.” down Fifth Avenue in grocery carts pilfered permanently from a sur- Hustler sports editor, 1964-66 stage to receive his diploma, he recalls,“Chancellor Wyatt Blount, whose work for the Hustler included a column prised supermarket staff. All of this unscheduled entertainment landed shook my hand and said he wished me very well in recounting his experience going on a sit-in with civil rights several of the less fleet students in the local police station. the future and added that he’d never been happier to activist John Lewis, brushes aside any suggestion that Hus- see someone graduate—which I took as a respectful tler editors had a sense of doing something historic. “At compliment.” that age I figured I’d be doing something historical all my From the Hustler’s early years, when editorials advo- life,”he says with characteristic self-effacement.“It was A Century of Sports Writing cated Vanderbilt’s separation from the Methodist Church, the black kids from Fisk and Atlanta who were making rom the days of Grantland Rice a hundred up until today, when writers speak out against racial graf- history, sitting at lunch counters and riding buses and get- years ago up to the present, the Hustler has fiti and report on the proposed move to a residential col- Terry Eastland, BA’71 ting beat up. There was all sorts of media attention on also been known as a training ground for future lege system, the paper has been a forum for thought, ‘student unrest’ as they called it, and the issues of the day sports writers. Today former Vanderbilt sports Publisher, The Weekly Standard railing against the atrocities of war,advocating improved were thrashed out on college campuses.” Fwriters occupy the sports desks at papers across the opportunities for women and minorities and, always, F Vanderbilt major: philosophy Bridget Kelley, BA’88,now an editor of National Pub- country, including the New York Times, Washington Post, arguing both for and against the eternal Greek system. lic Radio’s Morning Edition, sums up her experience as the Philadelphia Inquirer, and a number of others. Many Hustler reporter, 1968-71 Hustler editor this way: “Vanderbilt was becoming a were drawn to Vanderbilt by what is now known as the much more diverse institution, and we worked hard at Fred Russell-Grantland Rice Scholarship for Sports Jour- the paper to try to reflect that, to bring in different voic- nalism. Grantland Rice, a 1901 graduate, was one of the OCTOBER 4, 1929 es and also to foster a more inclusive spirit at the Uni- most celebrated sportswriters ever. Fred Russell, a let- versity. Black students presented a manifesto of demands. terman for the Commodore baseball team in 1927, wrote Sisterly love is being manifested in its usual cut-throat manner There were incidences of anti-semitism. Whether they for nearly seven decades with the Nashville Banner.His early this fall. At one sorority house two dainty brunettes are were done out of maliciousness or ignorance was not name was added to the scholarship in 1986. pulling hair over a blonde swain. One has the advantage of clear at the time; the interpretations were very different. Scholarship recipients include Blount, who early in Mary Louise Elson, BA’74 Those were important stories for us and important issues his career wrote for Sports Illustrated;Dave Sheinin, having been the most constant companion of the man in ques- for the University. There were students who did not feel BA’91, who covers the Baltimore Orioles for the Wash- Associate managing editor for tion last year, while the other siren has stepped in to break up as welcome as others at Vanderbilt. If we had a mission ington Post;Lee Jenkins, BA’99,who covers UCLA foot- features, Chicago Tribune the once happy home. … or a goal, it was to encourage Vanderbilt as it worked to ball and basketball at the Orange County Register; and Vanderbilt major: English Some of us may think we rate sitting in the seats of the become a more diverse university. I was proud of the Skip Bayless, BA’74, a nationally syndicated columnist work that we did, the stories that we wrote, and the edi- who has written for the Dallas Morning News, the Chica- Hustler editor, 1973-74 mighty, but few of us presume so far as to eat there; unlike torial coverage that we provided.” go Tribune, and now the San Jose Mercury News.Tyler the boy and girl seen eating lunch serenely, deep in conversa- Former Hustler editor Mary Elson, BA’74,now asso- Kepner, BA’97, and Buster Olney, BA’88, both cover tion, at the family table in Kissam one day. The girl was new— ciate managing editor of features for the Chicago Tri- sports for the New York Times. Kepner is beat writer for so that lets her out, but there really was no excuse for the boy, bune, recalls the student paper covering controversy the New York Yankees; Olney has covered the Mets, Yan- over a dance for gay students.“There was a lot of intrigue kees, and now the Giants. since he is a senior and a Sigma Chi and should know his and a big blow-up with the chancellor involving our Former Hustler sports writers agree that the discipline cafeterias by now. reporting. We tried to provide a forum for debate. We of churning out articles for a twice-weekly column is were crusaders.” good training for a career in journalism. Terry Eastland,

52 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 53 BA’71, is publisher of The Weekly Standard. Eastland Magers interviewed Wallace and wrote about a black became interested in Vanderbilt when a guidance coun- man considering Vanderbilt four years after the student A UGUST 7, 1973 by Mary Elson selor at his Dallas high school told him about the Grant- body had voted not to admit black students. “I didn’t land Rice Scholarship. He subsequently applied for and show up at the athletic department after that,”he adds. The reaction of college students to Watergate has been less than was a runner-up for the scholarship. Despite not win- “A couple weeks later I got a call from Coach Skin- tumultuous. In fact, it would be hard to characterize any overt display ning,Vanderbilt turned out to be a good choice for him. ner saying Perry Wallace was going to announce his col- of concern that has surfaced in their ranks—a striking departure from “A great liberal arts education is a good education lege choice that day. I had a sinking feeling in the pit past organized protestations against governmental fiddlings. for someone who is interested in being a journalist,” of my stomach, and then he added,‘He’s coming to Van- Probably the closest assessment is, on the one side, an aloof Eastland says.“If you’re going to a university, you ought derbilt, and he told me your Hustler article played a role to spend your time studying English or political science in his decision.’” I-told-you-so gaze by those who were convinced Nixon never was the or history or philosophy or foreign language. Journal- Wallace, of course, went on to enjoy great success in one, along with an indulgent snicker at the adults squirming over the ism is best learned in terms of technique on the job.” his basketball career and broke down racial barriers at accountability of a prime leader in their moral camp. At times, sports writing involves larger questions Vanderbilt and elsewhere. Now a law professor at the On the other side is a sober, somewhat sheepish retreat by the Chris Crain, BA’87 being debated at the University. Mississippi-born T.Van Washington College of Law of American University, he Magers, BA’66,now an FBI special agent, was a Hustler received Vanderbilt’s Bachelor of Ugliness Award, pre- once wildly ecstatic group who overwhelmingly gave Nixon their all in Editorial director and chief sports editor his last two years at Vanderbilt. Most of sented annually to the most popular male student. the November presidential election. operating officer, Window Media the time, he says,“We didn’t push the envelope. A lot of Both reactions are dangerous, because both signify a belief that our sports stories were rah-rah support-the-team stuff.” For Love and Money Vanderbilt major: students really don’t have to worry about Watergates until they step political science and history But in Magers’ senior year, Vanderbilt was attempt- ll this is not to claim that Hustler staffers ing to recruit a young African American named Perry through the shell of university life into the real world outside. Hustler editor, 1984-85 have such weighty issues as their sole moti- Wallace to play basketball.“I told Coach Roy Skinner I vation. Lamar Alexander was passionate wanted to interview Perry for the Hustler, and he said about the issues of the day, to be sure, but he really wished I wouldn’t. I told him it was a big story. Ahe had another motive as well. Working to pay his $600 He said,‘Okay, but don’t discuss race.’I said,‘That isn’t A a year tuition, not only did he sell cigarettes and mag- (except for World War II, when a woman briefly filled going to be easy.’” azines and wash dishes, but as Hustler editor, he and the the role while the men were away). “It was a magical business editor were allowed to split any profits. combination of things. The kids who worked on the “The first issue we put out while I was editor was six paper were bright and funny and creative. There was a SEPTEMBER 30, 1960 byRoy Blount pages,”Alexander recalls.“Aside from a picture of a cheer- real sense of camaraderie, both intellectual and social. leader on the front, most of it was ads. Dean Babbitt We had the craziest printing operation which involved Bridget Kelley, BA’88 The only place in town where you can get a real coffee-house atmosphere called me into his office and said,‘Lamar, this isn’t exact- going to Murfreesboro twice a week. We would be there and eighteen kinds of coffee is The Tulip Is Black, a little place estab- ly what we had in mind for the campus newspaper.’” all night long, then come back and eat at the Campus Editor, National Public Radio’s “While we were dealing with civil rights issues, we Grill. There was a famous waitress there named Roxy Morning Edition lished this July on 21st Avenue next to the barbershop by Vanderbilt sen- were also dealing with lots of trivial stuff,”says Blount. who knew all our orders by heart.” ior Robert Allen and ex-Vandy student Larry Connatser. … The walls are Vanderbilt majors: English and history “It was a lot of fun. The Hustler offices in those days were Her senior year, Elson married another staffer, John hung with drawings and paintings; “people come in and hang them up,” in Alumni Hall. I remember one time while I was a jun- Bloom, BA’74,who had come to Vanderbilt on a Grant- Hustler editor, 1986-87 Allen said. One painting … is the work of Dr. Eugen Biel-Bienne, a ior and Lamar Alexander was editor, we were there put- land Rice Scholarship and went on to write movie reviews Vanderbilt professor. [It] depicted a couple who seemed to be doing ting the paper to bed. Lamar had come back from a tour as Joe Bob Briggs and host his own cable television series. something vaguely unwholesome, but who looked neither healthy enough of Latin America during the summer and written a col- Elson and Bloom were also friends with Skip Bayless, umn called ‘Joe College Meets José Collegio.’ He had who was Hustler sports editor. nor close enough together to be doing anything really reprehensible … heard all these revolutionary speeches, and he went out “Skip has become kind of famous as a sports jour- Anyone who has a musical instrument … is welcome to entertain, and on the little balcony of Alumni Hall and harangued the nalist. John and I divorced after a couple of years, and Allen hopes more Vanderbilt students will come over to pick and/or read campus in Spanish.” John has become something of a celebrity. Skip and I [poetry]. … I ordered caffe espresso and rum cake, having some idea Student journalists can also be given to flights of always joke that we get calls asking to be interviewed fancy on the printed page. “I remember once I put a about John even now—25 years later, we’re still all glued what caffe espresso was and being able to pronounce rum cake … story about a Phi Psi falling out the window on the front together because of our Hustler experience.” Most of the clientele … looked like the kind of people you would want page because I thought it would be cool to use the word Mention staff romances to today’s Hustler staffers, to be sitting near you in a coffeehouse—authentic-looking, but not way- ‘defenestrate’ in a headline,”says Crain.“The Greek stu- however, and they’re likely to wrinkle their noses.“We’ve out. … Allen volunteered the information that “some pretty exotic people” dents felt we were always running negative things about had some staff members who’ve dated, but some break- them,”he adds. ups are bad and you wouldn’t want to be in the same frequent the place. “They’re not beatniks, not really crazy, but bohemi- For some Hustler staffers, late nights and countless office with that person 15 hours a day,”says Whatley. ans,” he elucidated. … Allen said only once, when a patron took a swing hours spent working on the paper have led to romance. “We’re together so much it would be kind of like dat- at a Vanderbilt football player who insulted him, was there any trouble. “There was a lot of socializing as well as journalism,” ing your brother or sister. We even have a term for it— recalls Elson, who was the first female Hustler editor Hustlercest.”

54 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 55 The Hustler in 2002 arate student media from the regular departmental struc- SEPTEMBER 7, 1990 by Sam Feist oday’s Hustler editors are selected for one- ture at Vanderbilt in order to limit liability. A former jour- semester posts, which gives Peabody students nalist, Carroll just finished a term as president of College I am white, I’m blue-eyed, I’m blond-haired; I look every bit the part of who do senior internships a shot at being Media Advisers, an association of about 750 advisers to editor. Often editors reapply and serve as edi- colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. a conservative Vanderbilt student. But I am also a Jew. TTtor for more than one semester, however. “Vanderbilt’s student journalists don’t approach their I am doubtful I could be accepted at Belle Meade or any number of Both Abbott and Whatley are English majors, but jobs like those I’ve seen at some student papers where other clubs. Is it because they are church groups? I don’t think so. They their biggest splash is whatever dirt they dig up for the the Hustler also attracts students from a wide spectrum are simply organizations which have never had the courage to change of majors and from all four of Vanderbilt’s under- sake of sensationalism.Vanderbilt students have a sense the way that things have always been. People who consider the status graduate schools—Arts and Science, Peabody, Engi- of community—they want to do things that somehow neering and Blair. Though the Hustler mirrors newspaper better the environment here. When they look at things quo acceptable are cowards and hypocrites—hypocrites unless they editorial staffs in most of the country in being over- like the restructuring of student life or diversity issues, come right out and admit they are prejudiced and anti-Semitic. it’s with genuine interest, not just a knee-jerk reaction.” whelmingly white, its advertising staff for 2001-2002 In am optimistic that our generation will be the one to push for change. included African American, Chinese, Indian and Pak- The downside, Carroll maintains, is that they reflect Sam Feist, BA’91 These country clubs have continued to operate as if there was never a istani students. Two of its business managers in the last the student body’s overall emphasis on conformity.“For Executive producer, CNN’s Crossfire five years have been African American women. the most part Vanderbilt students don’t challenge or civil rights movement at all. Change must come; there are people in question. They may shy away from covering something Vanderbilt major: political science Online capabilities have also brought changes, for good almost every club who want things to be different. It is these people who if they’re afraid they’ll upset people or they’ll go too far or ill. Most communications between Hustler staff mem- must continue to stand up for what they believe and fight for change. Hustler political columnist, 1990-91 bers now take place via e-mail. “Our Web presence has or it’s none of their business. I tell them, ‘If you don’t, become increasingly important,”says Abbott.“It enables who will?’” us to be a part of Viewwire, a wire service that allows other publications to pick up our articles and get Vanderbilt’s The Thrill of Being at the Center name out there. It also enables alumni and parents to see e made lots of mistakes doing the ative services for Time-Warner Inc. As Hustler cartoonist, the paper. People in Vanderbilt student government check Hustler,certainly, and we made peo- Ford created a character named Danny Mite, a play the Hustler as soon as it goes up online to see if there’s any- ple mad, too,”Kelley reflects. “We on the old fight song “Dynamite.” thing about their organizations in there.” had occasional run-ins with student Ford has spent his entire career in publishing, The Hustler’s Web site is also interactive. “After we Wgovernment, with faculty, and with administration. One both on the visual and editorial sides. He was on the ran a negative review about a country singer and his fan thing that hasn’t changed for me is the thrill of being in launch team for both People magazine and Home Box club found out about it, our Web page was flooded with the center of the story and tracking developments and Office. As the veteran of many changes in publishing, Jennifer Whatley, BA’02 comments, some of them threatening,”Abbott adds. communicating information in a clear and accurate and he remains an optimist about the future of print. “The Web has caused people who would never have concise way.” “Newspapers today are suffering, of course,”Ford Vanderbilt major: thought of the Vanderbilt Hustler to get mad at us or Sam Feist, BA’91,worked on the Hustler from his first observes.“People are not reading as much; they’re watch- English and art history praise us.” semester on, and during his senior year, as political colum- ing instead. But there will always be a need to read. Hustler editor, Spring 2000–Fall 2001 Today, as ever, editors can differ from the student nist, wrote a series of editorials addressing issues of race We need the contemplation value of print, and the body in what they view as priorities for the University. and condemning Vanderbilt’s willingness to have a trustee use of language in print.” And emotions about Greek coverage can still run high. who belonged to a country club that excluded members And there will always be those who want to pro- Earlier this year, after the Hustler ran an opinion piece from certain racial and religious groups. vide it, Ford says. “The business of writing and illus- calling for the elimination of the Greek system, says Now, as executive producer for CNN’s Crossfire, Feist trating is right in front of you.You’re only as good as the Abbott,“We received a dozen letters in response the first still enjoys being at the center of the day’s most impor- next thing you turn out. You can’t rest on your laurels. day and probably more than 30 letters in a two-week tant issues. “I think we did an excellent job of cover- It’s a new day and a blank piece of paper every day.” span. But our coverage of incidents of racist graffiti got ing the news at Vanderbilt, and it gave me a great “My favorite job ever was being editor of the Hustler,” only two letters. Sections of the campus were being foundation for a journalism career,”says Feist. In hir- says Crain.“It was a great group of people who could ask threatened by the acts of a coward, and I thought the ing producers at CNN, Feist confesses to having a bias tough questions of people in authority and feel they were best way to get rid of that would be peer pressure toward people with a liberal arts background. being taken seriously and could make a difference. I loved from the community saying, ‘We’re not going to have “Journalism is about writing and editing,”he says. walking around the Wall and seeing people reading the Emily Abbott, BA’03 this in our community.’But the response from students “Journalists by nature have to know a little about every- Hustler on Tuesday and Friday. I felt I was helping them Vanderbilt major: English was disappointing.” thing—science, history, politics. I can teach someone know what was going on around them. I have an emo- Chris Carroll, director of student media for Vander- about writing for television, but I can’t educate them tional reaction just thinking about it.” Hustler editor, Spring 2002 bilt Student Communications Inc., is one of three advis- about the world.” “Sometimes I wish I had a weekly newspaper now ers for VSC, which encompasses eight organizations “Vanderbilt was an incredible background because and had to fill half of it every Wednesday night,”Blount including the Hustler,WRVU Radio and Versus.VSC was the English department was without peer,”says Enfield says, “but I think I’m too tired now.” V formed in 1967 when University officials sought to sep- “Flicky” Ford, BA’50,former director of corporate cre- Gaynelle Doll is the associate editor of this magazine.

56 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 57 It is said that oboe players are crazy. was one aspect of the workshops in France, another was to study Just ask an oboist—they’re the ones who say it most often. And the and research the cane used for woodwind reeds by visiting where it’s source of their craziness is their obsession with their reeds. grown and interviewing those who grow and sell it. Workshop par- “It’s like splitting diamonds,”says Bobby Taylor, associate profes- ticipants traveled from Paris to Toulon on the southern coast of France, sor of oboe. “A really good oboe reed tip is thinner than three hun- where almost all of the cane used for reeds is grown. Why this loca- dredths of a millimeter. Research has been done that compares the tion? Cane is grown all over the world at the same latitude, but the cli- reeds of some famous oboe players, and every one of them uses mate, the soil, and the relationship between the Mediterranean Sea reeds that have tips measuring one hundredth of a millimeter. A and the mistral winds offer a combination of elements not found in reed that thin produces a very warm sound with smooth tonal qual- other parts of the world. The Mystery of the ity. But making a reed that thin is really hard to do. The next step beyond one hundredth of a millimeter is zero, so as you finish scraping a reed, you are very close to ruining it. On the other hand, if you stop too soon, you make a reed that functions, but does REEDONNIE RANT RTELT By B A E not have the right sound. This may explain our obsession with reeds.” In an effort to understand more “One of the growers there, Madame Duchin, said that the cane has about the sound they want from to suffer,”Taylor explains. “She says it’s better if it doesn’t get quite their oboes, their reeds, and to bet- enough rain or it’s subjected to the mistral wind that blows from the ter know the cane used to make reeds, Mediterranean. But every piece of cane is different.” Taylor and four of his students— The process of reedmaking for oboists is complicated and involves Somerlie Aston, ’01, Kristin Cameron, equipment with names like gougers, splitters, planers, shapers and ’02, Robert Boxie, ’02, and Jennifer guillotines. In order to both make the reed and later to play it, the cane Bernard, ’03—traveled to France first has to be soaked. Taylor starts with a segment of tube cane. At this last summer for 17 days to work point, it’s not very far from having just been cut from the field. with John DeLancie and Wayne Rapi- “You take a piece of tube cane and split it into three pieces with the er, two oboists known for their play- splitter, which is like an arrowhead,”explains Taylor.“Then you cut it ing and their association with Marcel to a very precise length on the guillotine. After that you plane it to change Tabuteau, the “father” of American oboe playing. it from a curved piece to one that’s absolutely flat on top. “Tabuteau was a real innovator in oboe playing,”says Taylor. “Next, you take the shaper and shape it by folding it in half, then “He came here from France to play with the Philadelphia Orchestra put it on the shaper tip and carve it down with a razor blade so that with ideas of his own and started experimenting with a different way it has a tapered shape.”After shaping, the reed is tied on to a silver tube to make reeds. Now almost every American oboe player, with very with nylon string, and fitted into the oboe with an airtight seal of cork. few exceptions, is either a student of Tabuteau or a student of one “When you tie on the reed, you also have to make a good airtight of his students.” seal, because if the reed leaks, you can’t use it. It’s too unpredictable.” “The quality of the oboe sound is comprised of several things,”says Taylor estimates that he makes about four or five reeds every week, Taylor. “The way the reed is made, how much of the reed is in your tailoring each reed to the demands of the pieces he’s scheduled to play. mouth when you play, and how much lip pressure or biting is applied At this point in his career, he thinks he spends more time making reeds to the reed. The idea is never to force the sound.You want it to sing. A than actually practicing. free, unencumbered sound with the oboe is a beautiful thing; it’s what “It’s such a tricky process,”he says, “but if you have a good reed, Oboist Bobby Taylor planes we’re all striving for.” life is good.” V a piece of cane, one step in

While helping the younger oboists prepare for orchestral auditions Bonnie Arant Ertelt is the Arts & Culture editor of this magazine. PHOTOS BY NEIL BRAKE creating a reed.

58 Fall 2002 “

TheArts“ It’s a flirtation with moving between the Culturesexes to explore ideas of Freud regarding our male and female selves. —MARK HOSFORD

Painter Diane Tesler used to live near two fields of aban- A crass clown from the inflated sculptures Donna Glassford, doned cars and trucks on the island of Pat Oleszko. director of the Office of of Oahu in Hawaii. One day, she Cultural Enrichment, Vanderbilt went out into one University Medical Center & “Along the of the junkyards Q Michigan “THE MOST IMPORTANT EXPERI- Road,” by with a sketchbook. A & ENCE I’ve had that relates to my Diane Tesler. “What I found there position was being a patient in a has remained a constant hospital bed. I learned that the in my work ever since: the power of smallest kindness has an enor- light to reveal the form and beauty of mous impact.” the discarded.”Tesler’s oils were shown at Sarratt Gallery Q: Who benefits from arts pro- from June 10 to July 10. grams in hospitals? A: The arts in healthcare benefit Mark Hosford,senior all members of the healthcare lecturer in art and art history, community because as a result of DANA JOHNSON The work of New York artist, showed prints, drawings, and animation these programs, the medical center environment is softened and performer and filmmaker Pat made less stressful. For example, when our harpist plays in the in his one-man show Sugar Boy and Oleszko was exhibited in the neonatal nursery, the baby is not only soothed, but also the VISUAL ARTS:? an architect, chose 30 photo- Other Delights as part of Cheekwood’s Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt baby’s parents and attending medical staff. The Vanderbilt Fine Arts graphs from their collection of Temporary Contemporary series, June 9 from April 17 through May 24. Gallery opened its summer artist portraits for this exhibit through July 28. Hosford’s work com- Q: What kind of physiological effects are triggered by exposure to Her exhibit, The Errant exhibition on June 18 with The that originated at the Ben bines a “personal narration of my views the arts? Artist Revealed: Portraits Shahn Galleries at William Space Museum: A Com- A: Music has been convincingly shown by recent research to from the Collection of Peter Paterson University in New pendium of Crass Clowns reduce pain, relieve stress, improve mood, and make difficult and Fools of Hot Air from Paone and Alma Alabilikian. Jersey. Portraits included Scroll #4 medical procedures more tolerable. Visual art has been studied Paone, an artist who teaches at Gilberte Brassai’s 1932 photo from “The Oleszko’s Inflated Sense less but appears to work in a similar fashion. the Pennsylvania Academy of of Pablo Picasso, Philippe Sugarboy of Self, featured inflated Q: How do the arts contribute to our compassion for others? Art, and his wife, Alabalikian, Halsman’s surreal 1951 por- Scrolls.” sculptures ranging from A: When an artist, musician, or poet presents his or her work to outlandish costumes to trait of Salvador Dali in top an audience, an exchange takes place intellectually, emotionally, hat and tails, Henri Cartier- oddball characters. and spiritually between the creator and the recipient. Within the Bresson’s 1944 shot of Henri The exhibit opened context of healthcare, the artist sharing a special talent intends to Matisse, and Arnold New- with a reception on make people feel better both emotionally and physically. When man’s 1942 photo of Max April 17 that that intent is realized, some kind of intimate connection is estab- Ernst. Photographs by Hans included a short lished. You could call it compassion. Namuth of Elaine and Willem performance piece Q: How does being at the Medical Center affect your own work as de Kooning, one taken in 1953 of society mixed with issues by Oleszko called a painter and sculptor? of gender and sexuality.... “Roamin Holiday: and one in 1989, subtly reveal A: My themes have evolved into personal narratives, and the both the physical and psycho- It’s in part a flirtation with A View from a colors are brighter. My mentor, Louise Calvin, passed away Portrait of logical changes moving back and forth between Broad” that fea- recently and left me her sculpture tools. I believe this to be a big Max Ernst that transpired the sexes to explore ideas of Freud, tured over-the-top nudge from her to start carving again, and so I will. by Arnold during those 36 among others, regarding our male costumes and props. Newman. years. and female selves.” NEIL BRAKE

60 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 61 T HE A RTS &CULTURE

dling program at Blair, regarded as one of the finest Ballet Mécanique invited the interna- mandolin players in the world. tionally acclaimed Vas- O’Connor, who is now based in UPCOMING sar Clements, along San Diego, California, started with Mark Wood, the fiddling program at the DANCE Daniel Carwile, Buddy Blair School, and contin- Marie Chouinard, a French Spicher, Randy ues to work with Blair’s Canadian from Montreal, Elmore, and others to Edgar Meyer and inter- is an exceptional artist perform and teach nationally-renowned driven by an invigorating, classes in celtic, blue- cellist Yo-Yo Ma on such avant-garde approach to grass, Texas swing, Grammy-winning recordings dance. Compagnie Marie jazz, country, old-time, as Appalachian Journey. Chouinard will perform and rock. her “24 Preludes by Chopin,”a jubilant work that melds DAVID CRENSHAW DANCE:? music and dance on October 3 at Ingram Hall. MUSIC:? Violinist, fiddler, and composer In late April, Sankofa Ballet Mécanique by George acknowledged masterpieces Mark O’Connor returned to the Blair School of THEATRE Antheil caused near-riots when and a third destined to become Nashville Music’s African Per- VUT will present Tony Kushner’s adaptation of it premiered in Paris in 1925. one as Mark Wait,dean of the for three forming Ensemble, S. Ansky’s A Dybbuk in conjunction with the Employing an arsenal of piano Blair School of Music, joined concerts participated in a opening of the new Hillel Center for Jewish Life and percussion instruments him for Bach’s Cello Suite no. 4 July 3-5 to multimedia celebra- October 4-6 and 10-12. Kushner is the winner of the and introducing silences as in E-flat Major, Brahms’ Sonata record a live tion of life as the finale Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards, and two Drama Desk music, the piece was shocking. Opus 120 in F Minor, and the album at of “Learning from Africa: Awards, among others, for his groundbreaking play, The Blair Concert Series pre- world premiere of Sonata for Blair’s AIDS, Religion, and Society,” Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. sented the piece this spring Viola and Piano by Blair com- Ingram a symposium featuring Ugan- He is the recipient of a medal for cultural achievement using four pianists—Amy poser Michael Kurek, associate Hall. Join- dan AIDS activist Noelina from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. Dorfman, associate professor professor of composition. ing him Namukisa. The six-day event, VISUAL ARTS of piano; Melissa Rose, assis- onstage were bassist Byron called “Meeting Point: Vander- Grupo Corpo presents tant professor of piano; Maria House, guitarist Bryan Sutton, bilt,”inaugurated a cross-cul- Brazilian culture as Whether symbolizing social status, Gall, BMus’02, and Curtis Syd- and Chris Thile of the band tural dialogue on health care complex, integrated, ethnicity or commitment, jewelry tells nor, BMus’02—and eight per- Nickel Creek, who is widely issues. and aesthetically a story. Utilizing jewelry’s symbolic cussionists—including Bill singular. power, artist Brad Bartlett presents nar- Wiggins, assistant professor of ratives that employ metaphors alluding percussion; Adam Bernick, A CCOLADES to love, loss, and a search for one’s BMus’02; and Blair students Daniel Bernard Roumain, BMus’93, identity in Defining Narrative,a mixed Danna Buchanon; Travis premiered two new works in New York media exhibit opening November 5 at Sarratt Gallery. Norvell; and Lin Ong—one of City in June. The Saint Luke’s Chamber whom operated a soundtrack Ensemble gave the world premiere of MUSIC featuring sounds of airplanes Fast-BLACK-Dance-Machine at the Dia For the past twenty-five years composer John Luther and other urban delights such Center for the Arts as part of their Sec- Adams has made his home in the boreal forest near as car horns and anvils. It com- ond Helpings Series, and the Brooklyn Fairbanks, Alaska. From there he has created a unique prised the second half of a pro- International Youth Chorus gave the New York pre- Grupo Corpo Brazilian musical world grounded in the elemental landscapes Fiddle School Dance Theatre performed as classical ballet, and Western and indigenous cultures of the North. “As a composer gram that also featured the NEIL BRAKE miere of What We Are at Saint Charles Borromeo Church music of BMI Composer-in- in Brooklyn Heights with Roumain as pianist. His Voodoo part of Vanderbilt’s Great Per- theatrical dance. Known for its in the far North, I hope to make music that belongs Residence William Bolcom. Some of the best fiddle players Violin Concerto no. 1 premiered in May at The Kitchen with formances series in the spring. authenticity and sincere here, somewhat like the plants and birds ...music that alive were on hand at the Blair Roumain as solo violinist. September will see the premiere Founded in 1975 by brothers attempts to present Brazilian somehow resonates with all this space and silence, cold In April, John Kochanowski, School of Music, July 28- of Human Songs and Stories for Orchestra, Narrator, and the Rodrigo and Paulo Pederneiras, culture as complex, integrated, and stone, wind, fire, and ice.”Adams is BMI Compos- associate professor of viola, in August 3 to conduct the first People by the San Antonio Symphony with NBA star David who serve as head choreogra- and aesthetically singular, the er-in-Residence at the Blair School in November, and only his second solo recital International Fiddle School. Robinson as narrator, and in December, Roumain will per- pher and artistic director, the group incorporates 20 dancers his work will be featured in concert at Turner Hall, since joining the Blair String Crystal Plohman, veteran perform at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Café. company’s unique style of and performs regularly in Brazil November 11. Quartet in 1987, presented two former and director of the fid- dancing blends Afro-Brazilian, and throughout the world.

62 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 63 T HE A RTS &CULTURE

Chapel on the Vanderbilt cam- Self-Portrait.Patchett is the OPERA:? pus, presented The Laramie author of the novels The Patron This spring, the Vanderbilt Project by Moises Kaufman Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magi- Opera Theatre,with music by and the Tectonic Theater Pro- cian’s Assistant, and Bel Canto, the Vanderbilt University ject, July 19-21 and 25-28 at which was a finalist for this Orchestra,performed Gianni Darkhorse Theatre in year’s National Book Critics Schicci,Puccini’s only comedy, Nashville. The play focuses on Circle Award and won the PEN/ staging it in a 1940s Mafioso- the brutal murder of Matthew Faulkner Award. Randall over- style setting that brought out Sheppard and its impact on the came an injunction earlier this the deception, treachery, greed, people of Laramie, Wyoming. year brought by the estate of and avarice of a family trying to Margaret Mitchell to publish outwit—and outlast—each BOOKS & her satire The Wind Done Gone, other for the wealth of their WRITERS:? which went on to become a best recently departed relative. With Four award-winning authors seller. Blakely, MA’80,is the stage direction by Gayle Shay, were featured at Vanderbilt’s author of the assistant professor of voice; spring writers symposium. poetry col- music direction by David Childs, Our Favorite Year: A Cele- lections Hur- assistant professor of choral bration of Nashville Writers ricane Walk studies; costumes by Rowena included John Egerton, Ann and Farewell, Aldridge; and lighting and set Vanderbilt Opera Patchett, Alice Randall, and My Lovelies. design by Tony Award-winning Theatre performs Diann Blakely. Egerton, winner Her current Franne Lee; the production was Puccini’s Gianni of the John F. Kennedy Book book, Cities the first fully-staged opera in the Schicci.

Award and the Southern Book of Flesh and Blair School’s Ingram Hall. NEIL BRAKE Critics Award in 1995 for Speak Blakely the Dead,to Now Against the Day: The Gen- be published HUMANITIES:? tory, and the American and Vanderbilt Divinity School: tory of the Divinity School, eration Before the Civil Rights by Story Line Press, received the An interdisciplinary graduate Southern Studies Program Education, Contest, and which started as one of the pri- Movement, most recently Poetry Society of America’s di colloquium, Limits of the Change, an exhibit in the Spe- mary departments of the Uni- coedited Nashville: An American Castagnola Award in 2001. Past: The Human Sciences Marching Toward Justice: cial Collections Gallery this versity and has since grown and the Turn to Memory wel- History of the 14th Amend- summer, documented the his- into one of the premier theo- comed presenters from 28 uni- ment to the Constitution,an logical schools in the nation. Assassins A CCOLADES versities to campus in April. 800 square foot paneled exhibit, The exhibit coincided with the Sacrament of Lies by Elizabeth Dewberry, ’83 Focusing on memory studies, featured photographs, drawings, publication of a history of the “Dewberry manages to sustain a high level of suspense one of the most exciting areas and reproductions of docu- Divinity School published this THEATRE:? have attempted to take the life about what’s real and what’s not in this imaginatively of humanistic inquiry to ments highlighting the quest of year by Vanderbilt University When Steven Sondheim’s musi- of the most powerful man in conceived story about the social dynamics in a rich and emerge over the past 20 years, African Americans for equality Press. On June 23, a panel dis- cal Assassins premiered Off- the United States—the Presi- powerful but woefully unstable family.” 38 scholars discussed topics under American law. Covering cussion moderated by Dale dent—the play humanizes Broadway at Playwrights —THE NEW YORK TIMES such as problems of memory aspects from slavery and black Johnson, professor of church Horizons in December 1990, it them, using these vilified and work in post-war Germany; soldiers in the Civil War to the history at Vanderbilt Divinity sold out its run of 73 perform- ostracized figures to explore the Written in a fluid and dramatic inte- memory and the unbearable; Emancipation Proclamation School and editor of the book, ances. Despite Sondheim’s rep- dark side of American life: the rior monologue, Sacrament of Lies civic memories and collective and the ratification of the 14th featured many of the book’s utation, however, the musical sufferings of the have-nots in a explores how some families nurture pasts in early-modern England; Amendment in 1868, the exhib- contributors. never made the transition to a land where everyone is prom- cruel secrets at the expense of truth memory as muse; memory and it’s stop in Nashville was a coop- larger hall. In April, Vanderbilt ised life, liberty, and the pursuit and redefine love in attempts to identity; and nostalgia, trauma, erative effort of Vanderbilt with University Theatre presented of happiness. accommodate evil. A kind of mod- and race. The colloquium was the Nashville Public Library in The Divinity School collection this controversial work that ern day Hamlet with the genders cosponsored by the Robert conjunction with Wayne State chronicles the The Actors Bridge reversed, the book is taut, atmos- some consider one of the great Penn Warren Center for the University. It was on display at history of the pheric, and filled with intrigue. musicals of the last fifty years. Ensemble,a professional com- Humanities, the College of Arts the downtown branch of the school. Dealing with the assassins who pany based at Saint Augustine’s and Sciences, the Graduate library through Sept. 16. School, the Department of His-

64 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 65 you would find anywhere. They are people tors, when confronted with uninformed mal- ideas openly and searching for our own truth trying to make a living for their families, peo- ice. There is no time for passiveness or com- without fear lurking in the background. I am ple who like to laugh and strive for a good placency. We must maintain faith in our reminded now of the Arab proverb which life. They are not people who are sitting around democratic ideals, recognizing their value not states,“Fear not the path of truth for the lack all day plotting the destruction of the Unit- only in preserving the essence of our own of people walking upon it.”In a sense, high- ed States of America. great nation but also in their potential to affect er education promotes patriotism in that we * Upon seeing this, I felt terribly saddened so many others around the globe. Further- do not blindly follow, but rather strive to lead to know that after September 11, more peo- more, as members of the Vanderbilt com- and improve our society by strengthening its S.P. O.V. ple than ever before have come positive attributes and feel- to associate the Arab or Mus- ing empowered to change the lim identity with terrorism. negative ones. Vanderbilt pro- We should keep in mind that vides an incomparable atmos- Violence and the Need to Belong simplistic, vilifying stereo- phere for this, one that I know

Student Point of View Student Point types are a catalyst for disas- I will miss once I have grad- * Reflections one year after September 11. By SAMAR ALI, ’03 ter. While it is true that many uated. I have frequently wit- people have worked to increase nessed the triumph of this their own knowledge and environment in leading peo- awareness of other faiths and ple who may have entered cultures, I still too often hear Vanderbilt with a closed mind hose who can accept their to ask themselves important questions: How and the responsibility we carry with us whether dehumanizing quotes, such to leave with an open one. diversity fully will hand did we reach this point? Can we responsi- we like it or not. For example, even my 12- as this one from a member of This is, after all, what a true on the torch between bly handle this new age into which we have year- old cousin told me that she had been the U.S. Civil Rights Com- college education is all about. communities and cultures, rapidly fallen?” studying the effects of September 11 in her mission: “If there is another Teaching students to formu- will be a kind of mortar This summer I was fortunate enough to Jordanian school on a weekly basis. I did not terrorist attack on the Unit- late their own ideas while still joining together and be able to carry out my own self-reflection walk into a single house without someone ed States, and they come from being tolerant of diverse opin- strengthening the soci- not only in the United States, but in the Mid- asking me how I felt on September 11, and the same ethnic group that ions and beliefs brings us all eties in which they live. dle East and Europe as well. While many then sharing his or her thoughts on the sit- attacked the World Trade Cen- closer to a calmer globalized —AMIN MAALOUF, thought me insane for going to the Middle uation. ter, you can forget about civil society. Vanderbilt can thus In the Name of Identity: East after September 11, I considered it a I wish I could have taken all of America rights. Not too many people serve as an example for all by Violence and the Need to Belong unique opportunity, for nothing can replace with me. In late June as I was walking down T will be crying in their beer continuing to fight for equal a better understanding of life through first- the famous, crowded Cairo market street if there are more detentions, opportunities and to listen Almost an entire year has passed since the hand experience. Thus, as I traveled from known as Khan Khalili, I had to pinch myself stops, profiling; rather there to every student in a spirit of horrific, indescribably painful day of Sep- Vanderbilt to Egypt to Jordan and then to to remember that I was walking the streets will be a groundswell of pub- growth and open communi- tember 11, 2001. So much has happened since England, I began to learn what no textbook of Egypt, just miles away from the Great Pyra- lic opinion to banish civil cation. that morning, and nearly everyone has been could teach me. mids and the Sphinx. I had just stepped off rights.”There is still some As a Vanderbilt student, touched in some way by those terrible events If there was one common thread I con- the plane the day before and was full of excite- question about whether or traveler, and human being, I and their aftermath. Even the tinued to observe in these ment, as I always am when I am embarking not this was the view of the understood this year how most passive observer is now different countries— upon a new adventure. For those of you who official. But after hearing them, crucial it is for every per- acutely aware of the nature of besides the fact that dehu- have traveled, I am sure you will agree that one must ask how educated son to play her or his own the world in which we live: no manization exists on all part of the thrill is never knowing what awaits people could think that the productive role with pride longer can something hap- sides—it was the empha- you or what discoveries you will make dur- answer to extremism is and without adding to the

pen oceans away and not affect sis everybody placed on ing your journey. NATALIE COX extremism. formula of xenophobia. We a person living on the other the words and actions My own first discovery was that Khan As long as this mentality survives, we must munity, we should continually take the must will ourselves to rise above the dangers side of the globe. We have from the United States. Khalili is your typical Arab marketplace, filled step up our battle against undemocratic knowledge we gain inside and outside the of simplification and stereotypes, and not be reached a point in time where Not a single day passed with the smell of Arab sweets and freshly thoughts wrapped in ignorance and com- classroom and apply it to make the interna- afraid to speak out against ignorance. If we the world is a smaller place, without everyone stop- baked bread, the sounds of eager street ven- bined with hatred. It is at times like these tional system in which we operate a more truly want to win the war against terrorism, one to be shared. The very ping to watch the news dors and tough customers, and the sight of when we should remember how Commodore cohesive one—one that is steadily distanc- we will not succumb to the same practices by idea of isolationism has now and hear what President crowded shops piled on top of one anoth- Cornelius Vanderbilt, in the 19th century, ing itself from saturation with discrimina- which terrorists operate and thrive. Instead, become one buried with the George W. Bush said in er—with each one selling the same thing. stated that he was founding Vanderbilt in tion and oppressed voices. Of course, nobody individual by educated individual, we will past and left as a joke for the his speeches and how that For a second, I thought I was back in my order to “contribute to strengthening the ties has ever said that this task would be easy, but direct our efforts to help ease the world’s con- future. NEIL BRAKE related to their lives. mother’s hometown of Damascus, world- which should exist between all sections of it is certainly better than the alternative. science. The events of September 11 aroused many Although I have been to the Middle East many renowned for its markets as well. The only our common country.” As American college students and gradu- Samar Ali, an Arab-American Muslim, is different actions and feelings, and for many times before, this time I realized more than differences between these shops and the aver- We have the responsibility to be con- ates, we have been exposed to an environ- an Arts & Sciences senior majoring in politi- provided an opportunity for self-evaluation ever how much attention is placed on Amer- age American flea market were the bargain- structively critical citizens, not silent specta- ment in which we are accustomed to discussing cal science. through reflection. Many people have began icans, the important role we play in the world ing tactics; the people are as normal as any

66 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 67 Vanderbilt Board of Trust. constituents had opposed it. I immediately was true for me. The referendum was also All of this meant that integration had grad- proposed that we have a student body-wide defeated, primarily because of a huge nega- ually gone from one of a number of topics to referendum, and the Senate supported this tive vote in the School of Engineering. It passed just about the only topic whenever political unanimously. A date was set for a week later. in the College of Arts and Sciences. discussions occurred. I found myself increas- During the next several days I met with A few years ago Bev Asbury, then the Uni- ingly a focus of interest and sometimes antag- any group that would sit still for a while, try- versity Chaplain, started the Martin Luther * onism, primarily because I King Lectureship Series and had attended an integrated invited Lamar, Roy and me to A.P. O.V. school and told my friends participate along with Jim Law-

int of View int that it was no big deal. son. As I thought about the I was also a member of the remarks that I would make Vanderbilt debate team and that day, I looked back on the Coming of Age had the opportunity to trav- naiveté of those years. I said Alumni Po el to a number of other insti- something to the effect that * How a product of the segregated South became an advocate tutions and meet with students we honestly believed that we for change. By JOHN SERGENT, BA’63, MD’66 from all over the country. It were trying to decide whether was increasingly apparent that or not Vanderbilt was to n the late fall of 1961, I was a mem- interest in the fact that we had several black We did read about problems in school deseg- the segregated schools of the become an integrated institu- ber of the Vanderbilt Student Sen- football players, including two on the starting regation in other parts of the country, but in South simply were at a huge tion. I used the analogy of ate, and presented a resolution team, a halfback and a fullback. Frankfort we seemed to get along just fine. disadvantage when trying to standing on a beach when a proposing that the Student Senate The football field in Frankfort is located I had always planned on becoming a doc- present themselves as impor- tidal wave is coming and debat- recommend to the University’s on the banks of the Kentucky River, and there tor, and when I received a scholarship to Van- tant national institutions. Then ing whether or not we were Board of Trust that Vanderbilt should is a hill right behind the field. When we went derbilt my college selection process was over. of course there is the moral going to let it hit us. In ret- accept “qualified Negro applicants” out for the pre-game warm-up it was still day- In 1959-60, my freshman year, the Lawson issue. While the opponents of rospect, of course, the ques- into the University.Vanderbilt, like light, and nothing unusual happened. We then story erupted, but I had issues of my own to desegregation often talked tion was not whether Vanderbilt almost every other school in the South, was went back into the fieldhouse for the pre-game deal with. I had just joined a fraternity and about the Southern way of life, would become an integrated not integrated except in the Divinity School pep talk, and when we came back out it was was involved in a couple of extra-curricular the potential loss of alumni institution, but how. Iand one or two other graduate programs. dark and the lights were on. As we ran onto activities. All in all I was as happy as I had ever contributions, and so forth, Again, with the advantage This was a period of fairly extreme student the field we all saw a large cross burning on been. I saw the pickets around Kirkland Hall, it was clear that there was of hindsight, I think we did apathy, in which the usual Student Senate the hill behind the stands. A total of three cross- and I read about the turmoil in the Divinity absolutely no moral justifi- reasonably well. I would give debate would relate to something like one-way es were burned during that game, with one School along with the Department of Medi- cation for Vanderbilt contin- us about a B- or C+. The han- streets behind some of the sorority houses. always in flames. cine and various other departments in the Uni- uing to be a segregated school. dling of the Lawson affair was However, after the resolution was presented, On the field, however, we didn’t pay much versity, but managed mostly to put it out of I remember when I made clearly Harvie Branscomb’s there was a sudden change in the mood of the attention to the crosses. Kermit Williams, the my mind. Even in late-night bull sessions in the decision to present the res- biggest regret in an otherwise campus. Lamar Alexander, black starting half- the dorm, when the topic would come up I olution to the Student Sen- great career as Chancellor, and then the editor of The Hus- back, weighed about would usually be sympathetic but didn’t real- ate. My girlfriend (who has I had the opportunity to talk tler,supported the resolution, 150 pounds and ly want to talk about it. Mostly, I wanted the now been my wife for 38 to him about it several times NATALIE COX as did Roy Blount, Jr., now a was fast as lightning. issue to go away so that I could get back to hav- years), and I had been study- late in his life. However, the nationally known humorist Kermit scored two ing a great time in college. ing in the library one night, and we went over ing to persuade people to vote for the refer- actual decision to desegregate the school pro- and writer. of our three touch- However, it didn’t go away. Around the to the long-since-closed Flaming Steer on endum. These included fraternity and sorority duced surprisingly little turmoil, and was Before going further into downs to bring South schools were being desegregated by court West End Avenue for a snack. Without warn- houses, dorm meetings, and lots of table talk decided at the very next meeting of the Board a discussion of the events that Frankfort a 21-20 order, often violently, and a few colleges had ing, over a cheeseburger and french fries, I in the Commodore Room. The highlight of of Trust after the student body referendum followed the submission of victory. There is a voluntarily opened their doors to black stu- told her what I was going to do. I think I just that period was a debate in Alumni Hall in was defeated. Given the composition of the that resolution to the Student picture of all of the dents. Nashville had become the center for wanted to be sure that at least one friend which Roy Blount and I represented the pro- University’s board at that time, it is probably

Senate, a little background NEIL BRAKE team carrying Ker- national training for students in sit-in demon- would stick by me. Needless to say, she did. integration side. Neely Auditorium was packed unlikely that they would have voted to deseg- is in order. I attended Frankfort High School mit off the field on our shoulders, with a cross strations as well as what would become the The weeks before the vote in the Student and included a few professors from Fisk Uni- regate as soon as they did if they had felt that in Frankfort, Kentucky, and we desegregated burning in the background. It was published Freedom Rides. Nashville’s two newspapers, Senate were a time of intense politicking. I versity and Tennessee State University. After the students were pressuring them into it, so in the fall of 1956, my sophomore year. Although in a national magazine, Life, as I recall. The Tennessean and the now defunct Banner, had a sheet that I was keeping on the proba- the debate some of the professors came up maybe as things worked out it’s just as well Frankfort was never a hotbed of Ku Klux Klan We had some minor incidents in high school, took polar-opposite positions, with The Ten- ble votes, and it was obvious that it was going and shook hands with Roy and me, and I that we lost. activity, we did have an event that made us all but essentially the next three years were unevent- nessean proposing racial conciliation and inte- to be extremely close. After a prolonged debate remember Roy saying afterwards that was the From my vantage point today, I can’t under- aware of the fact that desegregation was not ful as far as race relations were concerned. gration and the Banner staunchly opposing it. in an overheated room in Alumni Hall, it first time in his life that he had shaken hands stand it when people say no progress has been going to be painless. Our first football game Those were the years of Sputnik and fallout Complicating this was the fact that the pub- finally came to a vote. We lost by one vote, with a black person. I thought for a second, made in race relations. Granted we still have that year was the Friday night before the school shelters and the “crisis” in American educa- lisher of the Banner,James Stahlman, was a with two friends I had counted on going and realized that except for the kind of hand a long way to go, and many parts of our inner year actually started, and there was a lot of tion that had allowed the Russians to get ahead. very prominent and generous member of the against the resolution, primarily because their slaps that occur on the football field, the same continued on page 86

68 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 69 “

TheClassesThe Sugg family preserved “ pastoral property for future generations by giving the Land Trust of Tennessee a conservation easement on their 200-acre Williamson County farm. Coming Soon This Fall’s Action-Packed Double Feature!

N Homecoming and Reunion Please Note: Class Notes are only available in the print Together in… version of this publication.

Carolyn Schmidt, October 25-26 BA’71, Peabody MA’78

NEIL BRAKE Alumni Relations Head Retires “I’ve only spent one day unhappy at Vanderbilt,” says retiring Executive Director of Alumni Relations Carolyn Schmidt. “That was my first day as a freshman. Everybody seemed to know each other.” It didn’t take Schmidt long to get acquainted. A tireless Vanderbilt enthusiast, she has spent the last 14 years building the University’s alumni outreach. Under her leadership the Alumni Relations Office has plunged into Internet communications, begun awarding a Distinguished Alumni Award, and expanded the Alumni Association Board to include representatives from all of the Reunion for professional schools and University’s schools and the 10 largest alumni clubs. undergraduate class years ending in “2” and “7” She is the veteran of hundreds of successful Reunions, … Homecoming for Everyone! Homecomings, club events, alumni trips, and other get- Registration deadline October 15. togethers—as well as a few that she terms “disasters.” Discounts for registrations received by October 8. Like the time diet guru Martin Katahn was scheduled Sneak preview (including hotel information) now showing to extol the virtues of low-fat living to a Vanderbilt club— at http://www. vanderbilt.edu/alumni at, it turned out, a restaurant that was a temple to choles- terol. “Fried chicken, french fries—everything fried,” A Vanderbilt Alumni Association Production Schmidt recalls. “We gave the club president an award (615) 322-2929 [email protected] that year for most creative event.” (615) 322-6034 [email protected]

70 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 71 T HE C LASSES “ “ William B. Jones Jr., MA’75, has published a new book, Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History, with Illustrations. Alumni Association News VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2002-2003 • Dr.Thomas F. Frist Jr., BA’61, will NEW MEMBERS receive the Vanderbilt Alumni For a complete roster of board members and club liaisons, Association 2002 Distinguished go to http://www.vanderbilt.edu/alumni/alumassoc.htm. Alumnus Award during Reunion and Homecoming weekend. Frist recently President: James H. Morgan, BA’69 stepped down as chairman of HCA, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: the firm he founded in 1968 with his Immediate Past President: late father and the late Jack C. Stephen S. Riven, BA’60 Past President: Massey. He is past vice president of Frist Wayne S. Hyatt, BA’65, JD’68 the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. President: James H. Morgan, BA’69 • During its spring meeting in April, the Vanderbilt Board President-elect: Ronald D. Ford, MBA’92 of Trust elected six alumni to membership. Graduating Vice President: Vanderbilt senior Ibrahim Nasmyth of Atlanta was elected Sharon Munger, BA’68 to a four-year term as Young Alumni Trustee. As a student, Appointed: Nasmyth, a communications studies and psychology major, David M. Chatman, BA’85 was co-chair for the Multicultural Affairs Committee of Appointed: Karen T. Fesmire, BS’80 the Student Government Association. Elected to five-year terms were Sheryll D. Cashin, BE’84, professor of law at REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES: Region I (Nashville) Georgetown University; Mark F. Dalton, JD’75, president Sharon Hels, MA’82, PhD’87 (June ’06) and director of Tudor Investment Corp. of Greenwich, Region II (Tennessee exclusive of Nashville) Conn.; Orrin H. Ingram II, BA’82, president and CEO of Bill Bourland, BA’69 (June ’06) Ingram Industries in Nashville; and Jackson W. Moore, JD’73, chairman, president and CEO of Union Planters Region III (Southeast) (MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC) Frank Day, BA’69 (June ’06) Corp. in Memphis. Elected to a two-year term was Bruce Elder, BA’92, MBA’93 (June ’06) Stephen Riven, BA’60, managing partner of Avondale Paul Kurtz, BA’68, JD’72 (June ’06) Partners in Nashville. Region IV (Northeast) (KY & VA northward) Vicki Heyman, BA’79, MBA’80 (June ’06) Tony Tillis, BA’87 (June ’06) • James H. Morgan, BA’69, is the 2002-03 president of the Region V (West) (all states west of the Mississippi River) Vanderbilt Alumni Association. Fred Hall, BA’74 (June ’06) Morgan is principal partner in ALUMNI CLUB LIAISONS: Morgan Semones & Associates, an Dallas, TX Brian Morris, BA’84 (June ’06) Houston, TX Olympia Ammon, BS’96 (June ’06) investment management firm Los Angeles/Orange Cty, CA Nancy Citron, BA’94 (June ’06) based in Charlotte, N.C. San Francisco, CA Thom Rousseau, BA’89, MBA’95 (June ’06) Washington, DC Eric Purple, BA’90 (June ’06)

• The previous month, the Alumni Morgan SCHOOL LIAISONS: Association presented its annual STEVE GREEN Divinity School Bob Bottoms, DMin’72 (June ’06) Peabody College Anne Russell, BS’69 (June ’06) Alumni Education Award in recognition of a faculty mem- Law School Martin Brown Jr., JD’92 (June ’06) ber’s contribution to Vanderbilt’s Alumni Education School of Nursing Judy Sweeney BSN’70, MSN’75 (June ’06)

Program. This year’s $2,500 award went to Vivien Fryd, EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS: associate professor of art history and American and south- Medical President Dr. Lawrence K. Wolfe, BA’57, MD’60 (Oct ’06) ern studies. Fryd has given more than a dozen alumni lec- National Chairman of Reunions and Annual Giving tures and led a recent alumni tour to Santa Fe, N.M. John, BE’68, and Ann, BA’67, Johnson (Oct ‘02) Owen Graduate School of Management Renee Franklin, MBA’89 (June ’06)

72 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 73 T HE C LASSES “ “ Elaine Shannon, BA’68, covers the justice department and the FBI for Time magazine. She specializes in terrorism.

Frances McGaughy Edwards, BSN’53, MSN’76

NEIL BRAKE Plain Speaking “What do I tell my children about sex?” a friend asked Frances McGaughy Edwards in the late 1950s. Realizing then how few sex education resources were available, Edwards embarked on a quest for better information. Edwards’s long résumé includes having practiced as a sex- education consultant and as a sex therapist. “My children’s friends would come to our house and ask questions,” she recalls. “I would answer, then call their mamas so they were informed.” Parents, she adds, were often “horrified” that their children were even thinking such things. These days Edwards is again raising eyebrows with her interest in energetic healing, an amalgamation of ancient methods used mostly outside the Western world to promote healing and wellness. Physicians at several Nashville hospitals, including Vanderbilt, allow Edwards in the operating room to apply energetic healing techniques at the patient’s request. “I’ve always thought outside the box,” she says. “This is simply one way to make the journey toward healing less painful.”

74 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 75 T HE C LASSES “ “After the birth of her second daughter last March, Anne Daniel Vereen, BA’90, says her family is enjoying the very fine programming offered between 3 and 5 a.m.

Criswell Freeman, BA’76

NEIL BRAKE Wisdom in Small Packages It’s 5:30 a.m., and Criswell Freeman is already at work in the basement of his Nashville home, coffee mug in hand. Creswell is author/compiler/publisher of more than 70 books that are short on pages but long on popular appeal—The Book of Southern Wisdom, The Book of New York Wisdom, Friends Are Forever, and dozens of other palm-sized books packed with quotes of the great thinkers, from Aristotle to Dale Earnhardt. In eight years, his Walnut Grove Press has printed more than 6 million copies of feel-good books sold in gift shops and tourist hang-outs. “The way people take in information today is different than when I was at Vanderbilt,” he says. “Our books target the person who wants to spend an hour reading a book, not 10 hours.” Years spent mining libraries, old TV sitcoms and the Internet for quotes have convinced Freeman of one thing: “When it comes to the great truths of human exis- tence—life, death, and what happens in between—it’s all been said before. All you can hope is to say it in a way that speaks to the current generation.”

76 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 77 T HE C LASSES “ “Scott B. Trail, BE’94, a captain in the Marine Corps, was among the first ground forces to conduct raids against Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan.

Inside Out

JONATHAN RODGERS Rock On If they hit it big, they’ll be some of the most educated names in rockdom since Mick Jagger and Mary Chapin Carpenter.Three recent alumni—Joseph Sifferd, BMus’99, JD’02, Taylor Jones, BMus’01, and Reed Goodchild, BA’01—have been playing, writing and recording together as a band for the past year. Besides lead singer Sifferd, bass player Goodchild and guitarist Jones, the band includes guitarist Kristian Klaene and drummer Mark Kreuzer. They’ve enjoyed some early successes, individually and collectively. A song written by Taylor was recognized by Billboad Magazine as a winner of the John Lennon Scholarship Award. The band was commissioned to write a song for the Universal-Imagine film Blue Crush, which ultimately wasn’t used but gave the band an early boost. “We’re trying to shop our demo around to labels instead of playing together as a band for years and just hoping somebody notices,” says Goodchild. In the meantime, they aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket. Goodchild works in the property division of Deloitte & Touche; Sifferd just took his bar exams.

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80 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 81 T HE C LASSES

82 Fall 2002 V anderbilt Magazine 83 VJournal continued from page 9 mate professional, showed the class the inside put together its top administration team. They ful, and I was relieved that the idea worked. workings of the highest levels of the White ran perhaps the most efficient and success- We turned to Kennedy’s transition in 1960, House personnel process, the nerve center of ful transition ever, giving President-elect Bush and I tracked down the pre-imminent Kennedy presidential transitions and staffing. a functioning executive branch in record time. scholar, Richard Neustadt, at his home in Lon- As chief of staff for Vice President-elect Al Johnson took an hour out of his overwhelm- don. Neustadt had provided confidential tran- Gore, I experienced the 1992-93 transition ingly busy day to talk to the class about how sition advice to practically every incoming firsthand. When President-elect Clinton gath- the Bush team managed this feat, and how the president since Kennedy, and wrote the essen- ered a small group in Little Rock the morning job of staffing the Bush administration works tial book on the subject. By telephone between after the 1992 election, he graciously includ- behind the scenes. Like all others who have evening social engagements in London, Neustadt ed me as Gore’s top aide. For a month I sat labored to build a new federal administration captivated the students with stories of flying with Clinton, Gore, transition chairman War- after a presidential election, Clay has concluded to Hyannisport to meet alone with a newly ren Christopher, top Clinton aide Bruce Lind- that the morass of background checks, finan- elected Kennedy trying to figure out how to sey, and a few others—usually Hillary Clinton, cial disclosure forms, Senate foot-dragging get started. Mack McLarty or Vernon Jordan—who would and sheer bureaucracy have ground post-inau- A pattern had set in: We would discuss the rotate into the discussions around a dining- guration transitions to a snail’s pace, thus seri- essential facts of a new administration tak- room table in the governor’s mansion. They ously handicapping the new government. ing office after an inter-party change of power, approached their task—finding the best men With the course drawing to a close, John then take a speakerphone call from a guest and women to manage the Clinton-Gore agen- and I pulled out the biggest of the big guns to speaker, who would hold forth for 10-15 min- da—with more than a little hubris but with talk to the class. On Wednesday morning, April utes, followed by as much as an hour of ques- deep integrity and remarkable objectivity. I 24, the seminar waited for a call from Presi- tions from the students. contributed little but learned mountains about dent Clinton from his New York Harlem office. Nixon’s 1968 transition presented a quandry. the process of starting up a new presidency. His staff had earlier canceled the call twice At the time it was judged smooth, professional, So as PSCI 287 approached the Bush-to- before finally agreeing to 20 minutes, “not a and successful, a product of Bob Haldeman Clinton transition, I indulged myself two extra minute more,”they said. I knew better. Clin- and John Mitchell’s airtight control.Years later sessions devoted to this period. To discuss how ton doesn’t do anything in 20 minutes, espe- it would be portrayed as a failure to recruit Bush lost that election and how Clinton would cially speak to students. independent voices into the White House that approach governing, we enlisted the irrepressible President Clinton came on the line to could better serve an isolated president. To add James Carville, the “ragin’ Cajun”who ran the discuss a breathtaking range of subjects, from texture to this scene, David Gergen the jour- famous Clinton campaign “War Room” that his packed political schedule to his work on nalist and erstwhile advisor to presidents Nixon, kept the team inspired and ahead of the elec- AIDS in Africa to a candid view of his own Ford,Reagan, and Clinton, called in from tion battle. Carville is, to say the least, outra- presidency, the 2000 election outcome, and his teaching post at Harvard to talk about his geously candid, irreverent and terminally the problems of his own presidential transi- personal experiences with Nixon as a young opinionated, but he is also one of the most tion (“I should have simply told Warren Christo- speechwriter. I had served in the Clinton White insightful minds working in American poli- pher that he was going to be the White House House with Gergen and knew he would pro- tics today. The students, even the staunch Chief of Staff, not Secretary of State.”) vide an entertaining but remarkably objective Republicans in the class, loved Carville’s non- The students were mesmerized by the for- perspective on one of our most gifted, but trag- stop reminiscence. mer President, but they asked him probing, ically flawed presidents. The following week George Stephanopolous even difficult questions, which he handled For a close-up view of Jimmy Carter’s tran- joined us from his office at ABC television in with deft knowledge and great charm. The ses- sition, we called Jack Watson, and old friend New York, where he is a fast-rising political sion was taped and later broadcast on the Uni- and fellow Vanderbilt alumnus who planned commentator, soon to take over the coveted versity radio station, a fitting end to the classroom Carter’s transition from his Atlanta law office host role for the network’s Sunday morning work for PSCI 287. in 1976 and later served as Carter’s chief of talk show. Stephanopolous was perhaps Clin- But we had one last guest. Vice President staff. The class was highly impressed by Jack’s ton’s most influential staff advisor for much Gore, the person who brought me to Wash- candor about what went right and wrong in of the first term, and his book was rough on ington 25 years earlier, has moved back to Ten- those early Carter days, when internal power the President. He is a man of deep personal nessee, where he is completing a book with struggles nearly immobilized the White House. conviction, with a remarkable talent for analy- his wife, Tipper, teaching at Fisk University Mike Schoenfeld, who months earlier had sis. The class peppered him with questions and Middle Tennessee State, and lecturing helped make the class a reality, lined up his about the media’s influence on governing. throughout the world. On the last day of class former colleague Chase Untermeyer, who ran As the architect of George W. Bush’s early for PSCI 287, he joined the class for lunch at the Bush transition in 1988-89 and later served transition planning, Texan Clay Johnson had the Law School where Gore was studying when as White House Director of Personnel, a par- the toughest assignment of anyone once the he ran for Congress in 1976. ticularly difficult and often thankless job in 2000 election was decided in the courts. John- Gore spoke about the 2000 campaign expe- any White House. Untermeyer, the consum- son and the Bush team had only five weeks to continued on page 86

84 Fall 2002 In Class continued from page 26 dent from Germany is teaming with her on concepts. Like other tools, concepts don’t grasp segments. The change in genetic heritage drug development and testing in pediatrics. every fragment of information equally well. resulting from this accidental “crossing over,” A pediatric colleague is writing about HIV This limitation is especially true among issues as pioneer geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan vaccine trials among adolescents; Clayton concerning radioactive topics such as gender dubbed it, is a major force behind evolution. hopes to link him with the German law stu- and race. The second method is through laboratory dent. Officials in the U.S. Episcopal Church Another issue that Clayton frequently manipulation; Clayton’s graduate work was approached Clayton with a desire to better receives questions about is cloning. Confu- just in time for the launching of this whole understand issues about genetics and med- sion about this procedure results partially new discipline. The field of genetic engineer- ical ethics, to help them formulate responsi- from the distinction between reproductive ing is said to have begun in 1971, when the ble church guidelines based upon accurate and therapeutic cloning. Reproductive cloning American geneticist Paul Berg created the first information and predictions. involves the asexual production of an indi- laboratory hybrid of DNA. Science alone is never enough because the vidual that is genetically identical to its “par- With the ramifications of these develop- public at large needs not raw information but ent.”The most famous example so far is the ments swirling around her, Clayton realized a translation into comprehensible terms that creation of the sheep Dolly in the late 1990s that she was actually more interested in poli- make it relevant to ordinary lives and imme- by the Scottish geneticist Ian Wilmut and his cy than in pure science. She turned toward law diate issues. Of course, the first goal of respon- colleagues at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh. school, where she wrote about genetic coun- sible policymaking is accurate data.“My interest They cloned Dolly by removing the nucleus seling and co-directed a year-long seminar on is not only in getting the science right,”Clay- from an ovum in the udder of one sheep and informed consent. Confessing that when she ton explains,“but in really taking a hard-nosed fusing it with a somatic (non-reproducing) graduated from law school she wasn’t sure just look at the way the scientific information is cell from another sheep, then transplanting how to get into health policy, she adds, “I used in society—with the idea being to try to this pre-embryo into the womb of a third decided that it might be efficient—which figure it out in a way that we can optimize the sheep. The great fear, of course, is that even- shows you why I’m not an economist—to go way it’s used.” tually this procedure, called “somatic cell to medical school and learn more about it. Clayton insists on taking an equally hard- nuclear transplant,”will be employed to clone And I really went to medical school sort of nosed look at how the information is gathered human beings. Clayton says flatly, “I think with this idea that I was going to wind up in the first place. Another current project that the first issue about reproductive cloning— at this intersection.” embodies her approach. She describes it as certainly in the United States—is simply that Today, surrounded by the unfinished offices “the so-called haplotype map project, which the overwhelming majority of people think that embody the intersection of her interests, hasn’t even been formally announced yet.”A it’s a bad idea.” Clayton gestures around.“My vision is to sort haplotype is any particular set of markers on Therapeutic cloning, in contrast, involves of pull together some of the many strengths a certain region of a chromosome. A good the removal of the pre-embryo to produce tis- of this university and this city and then create example would be alleles, alternative forms of sue or an entire organ for transplantation back a space where other faculty and other students a gene, which cause different expressions of into the patient who supplied the initial DNA. can come in and explore some of these issues.” the same trait, such as eye color, among mem- It,too, faces opposition because the best cells bers of a population who share the same genet- to use are embryonic stem cells. A stem cell is layton sees herself primarily as ic heritage. “The purpose of the haplotype one that can generate various types of cells, an educator, interested in pol- map is to make it easier and less expensive to and the most versatile stem cells, not sur- icy but also in education and find new genes. This is a fourth-generation prisingly, are found in embryos. The moral public outreach. “I’m almost genetic map, which is going to begin to try to and legal question is how and when human a constitutive teacher,”she adds, lay out some of the patterns of genetic diver- embryos may be used in such treatments. Cand explains with a smile, “Constitutive is a sity among people from different parts of the Despite the controversies involved, many sci- Cgenetics term for a gene that’s always turned world.” entists consider therapeutic cloning the on.”She teaches one or two classes per year, Clayton predicts that, as usual, people with inevitable next step after organ transplanta- usually including an interdisciplinary course various political agendas—or people simply tion—which, although once similarly resis- in family law and bioethics and law. She directs ignorant of the complexities involved—will ted, has become an accepted and common a new genetics course and teaches in the Med- claim that any genuine biological differences procedure.“The benefit of therapeutic cloning,” ical School’s Ecology of Medicine course. Every between groups are more influential than is Clayton explains,“is to create matched tissues week also finds her working as a preceptor in really the case. Such misunderstanding can for treatment.”It would provide naturally cus- the hospital wards or in the clinic. Frequent- begin at an early stage. “The science is con- tomized organs for donors who could then ly, she guest lectures in other schools within strained,”Clayton explains, “by the fact that avoid the health risks of long waiting lists. Vanderbilt, including divinity, business and these social categories don’t completely describe Therapeutic cloning would also help pre- even engineering. what we need to be looking at.”One of the vent the body from rejecting a transplanted Besides teaching classes, Clayton current- tasks of science is to ask new questions, and organ. If the organ were cloned from the ly pursues a number of projects. A law stu- frequently the job involves formulating new continued on page 86

V anderbilt Magazine 85 In Class continued from page 85 genetics, is “the idea that it’s creating among A.P.O.V. continued from page 69 patient’s own DNA, her immune system would people that if you just know your genes, you cities are as segregated as the deep South ever have no reason to reject it. know what’s going to happen to you. Now was. However, people who say we haven’t Clayton shrugs.“But do I think that we’re that’s simply untrue,”she insists of this dif- made progress should try to imagine the anywhere near therapeutic cloning in humans? ferent sort of Frankensteinian vision.“I’m an South of the 1950s. The fact is that we had a No.” She points out that all these goals are still anti-determinist. I certainly don’t think Genes- system of apartheid almost as rigid as that in their infancy, and that scientists aren’t even R-Us.So I am much more open to the notion in South Africa. Water fountains, restrooms, sure if stem cell research—assuming that Con- that the genes give us a range of opportuni- waiting rooms at bus stations and movie the- gress doesn’t ban it in the U.S. entirely—will ties, and we have to figure out where we’re aters were just as segregated as were our live up to expectations.“It seems to me that, going to be within that range.” schools. When it came to things like hotels unless you’re driven entirely by the notion that Ellen Wright Clayton is used to offering and restaurants, most were simply not avail- you can’t destroy an embryo ever,then if it turns informed opinions. She leans back in her chair able for African Americans. While young out to be effective, we really do have to think and quietly declares a position based upon African American students today have hur- about what to do about somatic cell nuclear experience that goes back to the early days of dles to overcome that are greater than their transplant for therapeutic purposes.” this challenging and still young discipline: white counterparts, the fact is that the hur- One misconception that Clayton sees grow- “I’m not even a philosophical anti-determinist. dles facing young African Americans in the ing in force among the public, thanks to exten- I just think the biology tells us that environ- segregated South were so high that only a sive (if not always careful) media coverage of ment makes a huge difference.” V very few could overcome them, and they were usually people with extraordinary talent, like a Leontyne Price or a Hank Aaron. VU Holdings continued from page 21 VJournal continued from page 84 As for the situation at Vanderbilt today, guide, LaRousse Gastronimique, this one in rience and election outcome with insight and my biggest disappointment, and one that its original French language. humor, noting that he is working to mend is shared by a large percentage of the facul- Celebrities, both real and fictional, take political fences in Tennessee and staying involved ty, is the difficulty we face in significantly turns in the kitchen: Peter Rabbit’s Natural in national politics and issues. Again, the stu- increasing our African American population Food Cook Book (with Beatrice Potter illus- dents put tough questions to the Vice Presi- here. In that regard, the position of people trations); Dining With Sherlock Holmes; The dent, and he pulled no punches. It was a great who are opposed to affirmative action seems Pooh Cook Book; Hotel Bemelmans by Madeleine finish to the course. difficult to defend. We kept people in chains author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans; I had begun this class with an idea, helped for 200 years, then put them in a segregated and an impressively bound and photographed along by John Geer’s tutoring in the art of the society not that much better than slavery, volume of recipes from famous restaurants classroom presentation, University politics, and then grudgingly tore that down only two around the world compiled and published and the challenge of grading student’s papers. generations ago. And now we don’t want in 1965 in A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary It was thrilling to be back on the campus and to give any special provisions to try to help and Vincent Price. gratifying to teach with one of Vanderbilt’s members of that group catch up. The anal- Budding young chefs are not forsaken: finest professors. But I especially enjoyed get- ogy that has often been used, but which is There is a whimsical children’s book—Mud ting to know these students and watching them true, would be that of a race in which one Pies and Other Recipes, and The Teen-Age dive into a new subject with great interest. runner has his legs tied together while the Cook Book with recipes for a Sunday din- Early in the course one of our best students other runs halfway around the track. At that ner they might prepare featuring roast mut- told me of her new-found passion for polit- point, the ropes are untied, and from then ton. Some of the titles are not quite so ical science. This young woman works as a on it is regarded as a fair race. That just does- appealing: The Mayo Clinic Renal Diet Cook waitress during every school break through- n’t hold water. Book, The Prudent Diet, The I Hate To Cook out the year to help pay Vanderbilt’s hefty Fortunately, the current leadership at the Book, and The School Lunch Cook Book. tuition. She thought this class was worth her University is committed to diversity, and But certainly the collection as a whole will hard work, and that was all the reward I need- rightfully so. They know that Vanderbilt’s whet the appetites of cooks and gourmands ed in my return to the University. And, yes, goal of being in the top tier of American uni- and would prove invaluable in undertak- she got an A in the course. versities will never be realized until our stu- ing Brillat-Savarin’s final aphorism:“To invite Roy Neel BA’72 is Chairman of the Jackson dent body and our faculty begin to mirror people to dine with us is to make ourselves Group, a consulting company specializing in the make-up of the nation as a whole. Then responsible for their well-being as long as corporate strategic planning for public policy again, they also know that developing a more they are under our roofs.” V initiatives. During 2000, he was Director of integrated, inclusive university is simply the Vice President Gore’s presidential transition right thing to do. V planning, and managed transition efforts during the post-election challenge in Florida. V

86 Fall 2002 The Regulars continued from page 88 the other side, and drive up the hill toward In the truck, Mark listens to Jonesie sing Jonesie looks up quickly. “What did you the green. “Mother’s not dead, she’s only a-sleeping,”the say?” “Where’s he going?”Little Squarehead asks. old Bill Monroe song, and thinks boom box. Jonesie, like a lot of small men Mackie has “He’s getting away,”Fatty says, hoping that He recorded it at home on a boom box. known, has a bad temper. Mackie swallows. he has made a joke. Mackie knows where Jonesie comes from. “You heard me,”he says.“Big Hawk’s gonna “Who the hell cares?” asks Jonesie. He looks Jonesie grew up on Ordway, less than a half eat Tumorhead, and there ain’t a damn thing around for Tumorhead, who has vanished in mile away from the golf course. The first time you can do about it.” the commotion. Mackie laid eyes on him, Jonesie had run Jonesie straightens up. “Let me tell you Mackie stops the cart behind the green on out of the woods bordering number 11 and, something,”he says.“If I ever catch that damn number 10, stares at the pond on number 11, with a long stick, whacked into the pond the hawk sitting on the ground, I’ll kill it dead- the green above the pond, its grass dying, golf ball Mackie had just knocked onto the er’n hell.” the Spanish-style bungalows of Little Holly- green. Jonesie was only five, maybe six, at Mackie feels like he has climbed to the top wood across the street beyond the green. He the time. Mackie was already married, a father, of a tall tree, feels the great, dizzy height sway- isn’t sure where he wants to go, wants to go his babies still babies and still safe at home. ing with his weight.“And let me tell you some- anywhere other than back to the clubhouse, Mackie imagines Jonesie crouching in the thing. If you shoot Big Hawk or Mama Hawk, anywhere other than home, where his wife has woods, waiting for a golf ball to land close by, I’ll shoot you.” become an old woman he hardly recognizes, and shivers as a great sadness passes over him. Jonesie blinks twice. He steps close to Mack- tottering around on a walker, and who knows The boy had only wanted to play golf. He taps ie. The top of his head comes up only as far how she looks at him? the fingers on one hand several times with his as Mackie’s chin. This doesn’t make Mackie The Regulars file back into the clubhouse, thumb and says out loud,“Fifty-one years ago. feel better, although once it would have. shuffle to the tables, shake beer cans to see how Jesus. Lord Jesus, save us all.” “You’ll shoot me, old man, is that what full they are. Nobody can think of anything to Jonesie punches a button and ejects the cas- you said? You’re gonna shoot me?” say. They have almost witnessed a fight. Nobody sette. He puts the cassette into the case, puts The door to the clubhouse swings open looks at Jonesie. Big Squarehead says,“Which the case back into the glove compartment.“I and Bill and Mark rush out, followed by the one of you numbnuts stole my beer?” just thought,”he says,“since you had a record Regulars, by Fatty and Baldie and Mule and “Hey Mark,”Jonesie calls. “Let’s go out- deal …” Newtsie and Stretch and Big Squarehead and side.” “Dude, I work at a golf course. That ought Little Squarehead. “Hey, hey, hey,”Bill says. “Where we going?” to tell you about my position in the industry “What’s going on here?” “Nowhere,”Jonesie says.“Outside. C’mon.” right there.” “Mackie here’s got some kind of death Mark follows Jonesie into the parking lot, “Listen,”Jonesie says. “Forget I said any- wish,”Jonesie says. “That’s what’s going on where Jonesie points at his truck. “Get in,” thing. Johnny ain’t much older than I am, and here.” he says. they won’t play his songs on the radio.”He “Well, it’s over,” Bill says. “It’s done. You “Where we going?” fishes in his shirt pocket for a cigarette. “You can take it to Harpeth Hills if you want to, “Nowhere. Just get in.”Mark climbs in, but know that squirrel? Tumorhead? It can only but I’m not gonna have it here.” leaves the door open. Jonesie reaches into the see out of one eye. That’s why I feed it.” “He’s messing with the wrong plumber,” glove compartment, pulls out a cassette, sticks Mark nods, lost. He tries to pinch shut the Jonesie says. “Where I come from, we shoot it into the player. “Listen to this new tape I song lyric he hears opening inside his head, the each other.” made,”he says. one about a divorced guy feeding a one-eyed “Well, it’s over,”Bill says. “You hear me? Mackie searches the sky for Big Hawk or squirrel and singing a Bill Monroe song into a Nobody’s gonna shoot nobody. I’ll ban you Mama Hawk, but cannot find them. Often he boom box in a little house near the airport. both right now if I have to.” sees crows harrying the hawks, flying above Little Squarehead cups his hand against the “It’s over,”Mackie says, backing away, nod- them, forcing them down onto the ground, front window and says, to no one in particu- ding, raising his hands. “It’s all over. Every- where they sit, bigger than you would ever lar,“Whattaya think they’re talking about?” thing’s over.”He turns, starts toward the golf imagine birds could be, the golfers stopping “They’re in love,”says Fatty. cart which still holds his clubs, feels himself their carts to stare, until the crows fly away. “Please don’t say that to Jonesie when they stagger once from turning too quickly, an old Mackie hates crows. One day he saw three come back in here,”Bill says. “Go say that at man’s stumbling step. He gets into the cart, crows walking like morticians across the fair- Harpeth Hills or somewhere, but don’t say it drives off, everybody watching, toward the way on 15, toward the small, swampy patch of here.” number 10 tee, down the fairway, out of sight, trees near the tee box, while a mockingbird “I still can’t believe,”says Big Squarehead, even though he’s already played 18 holes and rasped and squawked and dived at them. He “that one of you sonsabitches drunk my beer.” doesn’t know if he has enough money left on could tell they were up to no good and chased Bill has a quiz tonight, and still hasn’t cracked him to pay the cart fee for another nine. them away with his cart. Mackie stares at the a book. He decides to take a cart and look The Regulars watch Mackie drive off, watch pond.“Where I come from,”he says softly,“we for Mackie as soon as Mark comes back inside. him disappear into the ravine, reappear on shoot each other.” V

V anderbilt Magazine 87 SouthernJournal

Reflections on the South The Regulars

A short story by TONY EARLEY

HE GOLF COURSE LIES Mama would make out of his hand, but nobody on what most people most of them cry. else’s, a fact that makes him already consider the “I can remember feel better than just about any- wrong side of the river. when most of Ingle- thing he knows, although he For a while an armed wood was farm- has never said this out loud to robber worked the 16th land,”Mackie says. anyone, and never will. tee. Play dwindled down “Shoot, Mackie,” Bill is afraid the squirrel is to almost nothing. The says Jonesie, the high JIM HSIEH going to bite Jonesie and has Regulars began packing handguns in their lonesome plumber—that’s what his business asked him not to feed it on the bag rail. He golf bags. They are the best-armed golfers in card says, Arlon Jones, the high lonesome goes into his office and closes the door. The America. plumber—“I bet you can remember the flood.” black dogs, 11 of them today, trot single file TA pair of red-tailed hawks nests in a maple “What flood is that?” Mackie asks, because across the number nine fairway and disappear tree in the woods on the side of the ridge he can remember several, before they built into the woods. A fungus is killing the greens. between number six and number seven. These the dams at Percy Priest and Old Hickory, the The greens at Harpeth Hills are perfect, but are the woods in which the feral dogs live. Cumberland, brown and roiling, coming up Harpeth Hills is in Belle Meade. Sometimes The dogs—10, 12, who knows how many— out of its banks. Bill hates golf. He is getting his MBA nights, are, amazingly, all black, lab mixes dropped “Noah’s flood,”says Jonesie. through the program at Belmont. off in the park. Somebody snickers. Mackie follows Jonesie outside. Tumor- Bill, the new pro, worries that the dogs are “That ain’t funny,”Mackie says. Mackie is head inches toward the peanut Jonesie offers. going to bite somebody. He worries that 77; his wife has artificial hips. He has no idea Only Jonesie knows that the squirrel is blind nobody will ever want to play golf on the how they got to be so old. in one eye. “Hello, Darlin’,”he croons in his wrong side of the river. He worries about sell- The Regulars hold their breath a moment, high, sweet voice. “Nice to see you.” ing beer to men with handguns. The golf then shout with laughter, shout for Mark “How do you know that’s a girl squirrel? course is the oldest in Nashville, its design behind the counter to bring them more beer. How do you know you ain’t feeding nuts and classic, but Metro refuses to spend a dime on Mark has a writing deal with EMI, but has- singing love songs to a boy squirrel?” the greens. “What do you mean, you can’t n’t had a song recorded yet.“Come over here “’Cause Tumorhead loves me, that’s how. find them?” he yells into the phone. “How and get it,”Mark says. “I gotta keep the tab All the ladies love old Jonesie.” can you not find a dozen black dogs?” straight.”Mark has been here three months Mackie shades his eyes, watches Big Hawk The hawks glide overhead in slow circles, and knows better than to distribute beer to wheel above 13 and 14. Tumorhead twitches, their screeching more at home on a movie the Regulars without keeping the tab straight. cocks his head to one side, takes the peanut soundtrack than here, a golf course surrounded He is watching music videos on CMT, think- from Jonesie, sits up, holds it in its shriv- by suburbs, Little Hollywood, Lockeland ing of how much money he would make if eled, old man’s hands, chews busily with its Springs, Inglewood, the tightly-packed neigh- Faith Hill cut one of his songs. sharp, rodent teeth. The squirrel won’t let borhoods where the Regulars grew up before Jonesie’s surname is Jones; Mackie’s is McIn- Mackie get anywhere near it. Mackie wonders they moved off and their parents died and tyre. Baldie is bald and Fatty is fat. The bigger if Big Hawk can see the squirrel from so far were buried in the city cemeteries after funer- of the two hawks is Big Hawk and the small- away,feels his face flush for no reason he can als in their failing churches and this part of er one is Mama Hawk. Tumorhead,the squir- think of. the world became the wrong side of the river. rel, has a tumor on its head. It appears outside “Big Hawk’s gonna eat that squirrel,”he The regulars don’t live here anymore, just on the bag rail. Jonesie buys a bag of peanuts says. drive back to play golf. A slow song about and leaves the clubhouse. The squirrel will eat continued on page 87

88 Fall 2002